Only A Matter Of Time
by ice-woman
Summary: Part eight's up! Wow two chapters in one day! Lol. Keep me happy and keep the reviews going!
1. Alcohol Induced Chaos

Sorry for any spelling mistakes!!!

Ok, in this fic, Helen and Bobby have just broken up, and things are starting with Lindsay...now Helen wants him back, and Bobby must choose who he wants...Lindsay or Helen?

"Is this the place?" Helen asked.

"Yup," Lindsay said. 

"Good, my feet hurt from walking," Helen remarked. 

"Yeah, mine too," Lucy complained.

All of Bobby's firm (except Eugene) and Helen were on vacation at the beach for a week. They had rented a six bedroom beach house for the time period, and had gotten lost finding it.

"This is the last time we ever depend on you for directions!" Ellenor groaned, dropping her bags as soon as they got inside.

"Well, sorry!" Lindsay remarked. "How was I supposed to know that there was more than one Beech Street?"

"They were spelled differently!" Rebecca said.

"Spelling has never been one of Lindsay's strong points," Helen replied.

"Gee, thanks Helen," Lindsay said.

"Any time," Helen remarked.

"Can you girls stop complaining already?" Bobby asked.

"Really," Jimmy agreed.

"Okay, so how are we rooming?" Lucy asked. "'Cause I so need my own space."

"Hmm...six bedrooms...five girls..." Lindsay replied.

"We'll let the guys duke it out for the last one," Helen replied.

"Hey, wait a minute," Bobby began.

"Yes?" Lindsay and Helen asked. 

"I think that two girls better share a room," Bobby said.

"Agreed," Jimmy replied. 

"Okay, okay, we'll pull straws," Lindsay said, taking order.

"Oh, what are we in, kindergarten?" Helen asked rolling her eyes.

"You got a better idea?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Helen said. "First person in the room gets it."

"Okay, who's got the straws," Rebecca said.

"Oh, come on," Helen remarked.

"Here's some," Jimmy said grabbing some from the kitchen counter. 

Jimmy cut two, then handed them to Lindsay. They all grabbed one, Helen being the last to take one. 

"Damn it!" Helen muttered.

"Oh, no," Lucy said looking at her. "We are so not rooming together."

"Hell no," Helen agreed. She looked at Lindsay. "I did not come here to baby-sit!"

"Excuse me!" Lucy remarked.

"Okay, okay, guys calm down!" Lindsay said. "Ellenor do you mind?"

She shook her head.

"Fine, Ellenor and I will share then," Lindsay said.

"Happy now?" Bobby asked Helen sarcastically.

"Ecstatic," she said viciously. Her and Bobby were still on pretty bad terms, and she was not in the mood to argue with him again. But, hey, if he started it, she let him have it.

"Just, please don't ruin this vacation like the way you tried to ruin my life," Bobby remarked.

"Oh, fuck you Bobby!" she remarked.

"Here we go," Bobby said.

"You're the one who started it!" she defended herself.

"Oh, grow up," he said.

"After you!" she remarked.

"Oh, God," he muttered.

"Screw you!"

"Can you guys please not do this now?" Lindsay asked, annoyed.

"Stay out of this!" Bobby remarked.

"Don't tell her what to do!" Helen replied.

"I'm leaving," he said, grabbing his stuff and heading for his room.

"Oh, you know that is so typical of you!" she called after him. "Leave when things get too tough to handle!" she remarked turning the other way.

"Well, I will gladly admit to that when you find a guy who can handle a bitch like you!" he remarked.

Oh, go to hell!" she called, going upstairs.

"This is supposed to be a vacation!" Lindsay shrieked.

"Oh shut up!" Bobby and Helen yelled from the opposite ends of the house.

Helen sat on her bed for a moment after unpacking her things. God, Bobby annoyed her. How could she have ever been dumb enough to fall for him. She couldn't stand him...the thought of his voice...the memories of him and her...they all disgusted her! She could do so much better than him.

She hopped off the bed, and decided to go to the beach. She took off her clothes, and then slipped on a pair of tight, short, jean shorts, and a purple halter top. She combed her hair out, deciding to leave it down. She loved how the beach's humidity put waves in her hair. She then grabbed her purse and went out the door.

"Hey," Lindsay said, noticing her. She had the room next door, and was just getting ready to go inside. "Going somewhere?" she asked, eyeing her purse.

"Yeah, I'm going out for a little," she replied. "Sorry about yelling at you. I'm not angry with you. I just...I need to go out and cool down a little, you know?" 

Lindsay nodded. "Want some company?"

"Nah, I better go alone," Helen replied. "I need to think things through...clear my mind..."

"Okay," Lindsay said. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thanks," Helen said, heading out the door.

"Uh...Helen," Lindsay said. 

"Yeah?" Helen asked.

"I have a confession to make," Lindsay said.

"Yeah?" Helen asked, turning to face her.

"Umm...the past few days...well...Bobby and I..." Lindsay began. "We kind of got closer...and well...we kissed...a couple times...okay, more than a couple times. Are...are you okay with that?"

"Mmm hmm," Helen lied. "Better you than me."

"Sure you're cool with it?" Lindsay asked, surprised. "I mean I know you two..."

"Hey, Linds, that meant absolutely nothing to me," Helen lied again. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay," Lindsay said. "Have fun!"

"I'll try," Helen remarked, turning away from Lindsay, her emotions angering. 

"Knock, knock," Lindsay said, standing in the entrance way to Bobby's room. He turned to see who was there. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, as she walked inside and shut the door. "So...I talked to Helen," she began.

"Oh, so, you hate me too then?" he asked. "You two start an 'I hate Bobby Donnell' fan club?"

She laughed. "No, I don't hate you," she replied kissing him. "I told her about us."

He pulled away quickly, eyes wide. "You what?" he asked, choking on his words.

"Don't worry," Lindsay remarked. "She's fine with it."

"Really?" Bobby asked, both suprised and hurt. He thought he meant a little more to her where she'd at least be upset when she found out he was dating again...especially since it was her best friend.

"Really," she said. "She doesn't mind at all. I promise."

"That;s good," he said half-heartedly, kissing her again. 

"Now," she said, pulling away. "I figure since everyone's out, we have two options. We can either go join them...or..." she began, sitting on his bed. "Stay in."

"Hmm..." he said, sitting down next to her. "I think I'll stay in today. Care to join me?"

"Yes," she said quickly, kissing him passionately.

Nine PM

"Helen Gamble?" a voice asked unsurely.

Helen turned around on her barstool, to face the person who had called her. She had blonde hair, almond colored eyes, and very tan skin.

"Jessica!" she remarked. "Oh, my God! You haven't changed a bit since college! What are you doing here?"

"Me?" she asked. "I live here? What about you."

"Vacation," she said. "Are you a lawyer?"

"Yup," Jessica said proudly. "Defense attorney. Founder of my own firm."

"Really? Impressive," Helen said.

"And you?"

"DA," she replied.

"Let me guess, bad reputation, like always?"

"Well, they call me Trojan Helen," she replied. "You figure it out."

"Oh, God, it is so great to see you!" she remarked.

"Yeah, you two," Helen replied, letting her sit down on the stool next to her.

"So, you're on vacation?" Jessica asked. "With anyone special."

Helen groaned. "Don't even go there."

"Uh oh."

"You remember Lindsay?"

"Dole?"

"That's her," Helen said. "Well she part of my main opposing firm now. Anyway, we room together and stuff and the senior partner in her firm, Bobby...well, he and I...sort of hit it off if you knwo what I mean."

"Helen and a defense attorney," Jessica said. "I can just picture it. Enemies by day, lovers by night...how cliche."

"Yeah, something like that," Helen murmered. "Anyway, we got into a fight over a case and broke things off. And it just so happens that Lindsay's whole firm took this vacation with us, so now I have to put up with him."

"Ooh, sounds fun," Jessica said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it," Helen replied. "Oh, but it gets worse."

"How?" Jessica asked.

"Right before I left the beach house this afternoon, Lindsay announces to me that she's seeing Bobby."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, my best friend and ex-boyfriend," Helen remarked. "But it doesn't bother me."

Jessica shot her an incredulous look. "Yeah, right," she replied.

"It doesn't!" Helen insisted.

"Yeah, so you just spent five minutes of your life telling me something that you don't care about," Jessica said. "Yeah, I'm so buying that!"

"Helen put her head down on the counter and groaned. "You're right," she admitted. "I hate the whole thing."

"You know what you need," Jessica said. "Closure. Once you admit the relationship's over than you'll feel better."

"Yeah," Helen said.

"Yup," Jessica replied. "All you need is closure."

"And beer," she remarked, loud enough for the bar tender to hear her.

Lindsay and Bobby sat cuddling on the couch, watching a movie. Rebecca and Jimmy had just gotten back from eating with Lucy and Ellenor. However, Ellenor and Lucy decided to stay out longer, and Rebecca and Jimmy went home. They were in their rooms, probably getting ready for bed.

"Are you scared yet?" Bobby teased Lindsay.

"No," she said.

"Now?" he asked after a few seconds.

"No!" she remarked.

About a minute went by. "How about now?" he teased.

Annoyed, Lindsay playfully threw a piece of popcorn at him. Bobby then in turn threw some back to her, and they continued with their "popcorn fight" until Lucy and Ellenor came inside.

"Prepare yourselves," Ellenor warned them.

"Why?" Bobby and Lindsay both asked.

For Helen," Ellenor said. "She kind of went out and..."

"She's completely trashed," Lucy said. "But she doesn't know we saw her, so we have to go..."

"Yeah, just warning you," Ellenor said, as she and Lucy rushed up the stairs.

"Helen, drunk?" Bobby asked, surprised.

"I know, that doesn;t sound like Helen at all," Lindsay said.

A few minutes later they heard the door open, and heard footsteps.

"Hello?" a voice called out.

"Uh...in here," Lindsay muttered.

"Hi," a blinde-haired woman said. "I believe she belongs to you," she said motioning to Helen.

"Jessica?" Lindsay asked, unsurely.

"Hi Lindsay," Jessica replied.

"What happened?" Lindsay asked, noticing her propping Helen up.

"Well, I ran into her at the bar," she began. "We had a few drinks, then I stopped, but she just kept on going. I finally stopped her and decided to bring her here. I was just lucky she remembered the address at this point."

Lindsay got up from next to Bobby and grabbed Helen's arm. 

"Helen," she replied, tapping her head. "Helen wake up!"

Helen's head shot up, her eyes bloodshot and she started laughing. "You!" she remarked pointing at Bobby. "You!" she repeated laughing.

"Let's get her upstairs," Lindsay said to Jessica.

Jessica nodded, but Helen brushed them both off of her. "I can walk!" she insisted, her words slurring and she started laughing again, confusing Lindsay, Jessica, and Bobby.

"I am SO over you!" she remarked pointing to Bobby. She nodded repeatedly up and down. "That's right," she said, her words still slurring. "I don't love you anymore!"

"Uh, honey, I don't think you ever loved him," Lindsay replied, taking her arm.

"I did!" she insisted, pushing Lindsay's arm off of her. "But not anymore. No, 'cause you are a really, really, really, super, duper, big JERK!" she called to Bobby.

"Helen I think you should go upstairs," Lindsay said nodding, and offering her arm.

Helen looked at Lindsay for a second then slapped her across the face. "And you!" Helen remarked. "You're a bitch!"

"Helen, let's go," Jessica said. She didn't want Helen saying anything that she might regret in the morning. "Come on."

"No! She is!" she remarked. "You're s'posed to be my friend!"

"Helen I thought you didn't have a problem with me and Bobby," Lindsay said, still partially in shock from being slapped.

"I wasn't!" Helen yelled. "But I am now! And you want to know why?" She turned to Bobby. "Because I have cah-losure! (She's sounding out closure as she's saying it.) "Yes, I do!"

"Helen,let's go," Jessica said taking her arm.

"Fine," she remarked, and then turned to Bobby. "But I am through with you mister! I'm not going to cry over you anymore...'cause I have CLOSURE!"

"First door on the right," Lindsay said, as Jessica took Helen up the stairs.

Lindsay sighed as she sat down next to Bobby.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

The Next Day

Helen stood in the shower, closing her eyes as the hot water hit her. She could surprisingly remember what happened last night. She winced thinking of what she had said to Bobby. She had made it so obvious that she still loved him, and she was furious at herself for allowing him to know that.

She couldn't believe she could be so stupid! Things would have been so much easier if she would have just not said anything. But, no, she had to open her mouth. Not like she could really control what she had said...she was too drunk to do that.

Sighing, she turned the water off, and climbed out. She quickly wrapped her robe around her, and sat down on the edge of the tub. She rested her head in her hands, going over what to say if she was confronted by Bobby...or Lindsay.

She turned as she heard somebody come in and quickly stood up when she relized it was Bobby.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," he remarked, turning the other way.

"No, no, it's okay, I should have locked the door," she said.

He started out the door and then stopped.

"I need to talk to you," they both said at the same time.

"He came back inside and shut the door. "What?" he asked.

She sighed, sitting back down. "About last night. I...I was completely trashed, and whatever I said..."

"You said you still loved me," he replied.

"No I didn't," she said a little too quickly. 

He looked at her. "Yes, you did."

"I said loved," she said, accenting the "d". "I said I love you...I...I mean I loved you."

"But you meant that you still do," he said.

"No...I..."

"I didn't know that you ever did," he replied truthfully. 

"I never did," she siad, looking down at the floor.

"Helen," he said.

"Fine," she remarked. "God! Of course I did Bobby! How could I not! But...it's too late...you're with Lindsay now, and I...I screwed up," she said.

"Helen..." he began.

"I have to go," she said, rushing out of the bathroom.

"Helen, wait!" he called, as Lindsay rounded the corner and saw him.

"What was that all about?" she asked quickly.

"Nothing," Bobby said.

"My God," Lindsay said. "You still love her."

"No!" he insisted.

"God, how could I have been so blind," Lindsay said. "It's written all over your face."

"Lindsay I..." he began. "I'm sorry, I just...we tried but..."

She shrugged, pretending not to be hurt. "You can't help who you love," she said, understandingly. "But you better hurry up before she's gone forever."

r/r

TBC


	2. Better Left Unsaid

Ok, sorry it took so long to finish…I don't know exactly why…got wrapped up in a million other things…well…enjoy  
  
A/N: Just so ya know they're still on vacation in this.  
  
Helen carefully pulled her hair back into a sleek ponytail. She checked her make up one last time before throwing on her sandals and grabbing her purse. She peeked out the door before opening it. She had been avoiding Bobby all day. She didn't want to talk to him. She wasn't in the mood to be lectured…especially about love. She laughed thinking about how well he could handle a speech on that topic.  
  
Not seeing anyone, she shut her door and carefully walked out into the living room, still searching for any sign of him.  
  
"He's not here, you're free to roam the house as you please," Lindsay said.  
  
"Uh…who's not here?" Helen asked, playing dumb.  
  
Lindsay shot her an incredulous look. "Please," she muttered. "I'm talking about the person you've been avoiding for the past few days."  
  
"I haven't been avoiding anyone," she lied.  
  
"Come on Helen," Lindsay remarked. "He already told me everything."  
  
"Lindsay whatever I said, I was completely drunk at the time and…" she began.  
  
"Why'd you lie to me?" Lindsay asked.  
  
"What?" Helen asked confused.  
  
"Helen, I would have never even dreamed of going out with him if I had known you still cared for him," Lindsay remarked.  
  
"I don't!" she insisted. "And you know me. Once I break up with someone, we're through. It's over, finished, finito."  
  
"Helen," Lindsay remarked. "It's okay. I mean…honestly, we were talking about breaking up anyway. We both knew it wasn't going to work out. We were just both lonely and…"  
  
"Don't lie to me Linds," Helen said.  
  
"I'm not," she said. "He's all yours now."  
  
Helen shook her head. "No…it didn't work last time, it won't work now."  
  
"That's not necessarily true," Lindsay insisted. "I mean, you have to at least give it another try."  
  
"I can't," Helen said.  
  
"Why?" Lindsay asked.  
  
"Because…"  
  
"Hey all!" Lucy called cheerfully as she and Rebecca walked in the front door. "We just found the hottest store. And Beck bought the cutest dress."  
  
"Oh, let me see!" Helen said, eager to change the subject.  
  
"Helen!" Lindsay remarked, letting her know she wasn't getting off the hook that easily.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
Lindsay sighed as Helen turned away and began commenting on all the clothes the two had bought.  
  
  
  
"Oh come on," Bobby remarked. "How are the Yankees better than the Red Sox?"  
  
"Be it talent or just shear luck, the scoreboard never lies my friend," Eugene replied, pointing to the points total on the television. He laughed at Bobby's frustration.  
  
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Bobby asked, agitated.  
  
"Every second of it," Eugene confessed.  
  
"There's still one more inning," Bobby said.  
  
"Bobby, face it, the game's over," Eugene said. "They've lost."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Give it up," Eugene said, flicking the TV off.  
  
"Hey…" Bobby began in protest.  
  
"I'm only saving you form any more embaressment," he said.  
  
"Yeah, but you can't just…" Bobby began.  
  
"Uh uh girl!" Rebecca remarked, walking into the living room with Lindsay.  
  
"Hell yeah, no contest," Lindsay remarked.  
  
"You have absolutely no taste whatsoever and…" Rebecca began.  
  
"Let's ask Helen," Lindsay said, as Helen walked past them towards the kitchen.  
  
"Ask Helen what?" Helen asked.  
  
"Okay, whose better looking, Matt Damon or Usher?" Lindsay asked.  
  
"George Clooney," Helen said.  
  
"Oh who asked you anyway!" Lindsay remarked.  
  
"Come on pick one!" Rebecca insisted.  
  
"Fine," Helen said, emerging from the kitchen with a glass of water. "It has to be Usher then."  
  
"Ha!" Rebecca remarked to Lindsay.  
  
"Shut up," Lindsay said.  
  
"Why's the TV off?" Rebecca asked suddenly.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Bobby remarked, getting up and leaving.  
  
"The Red Sox are losing," Eugene explained.  
  
"Oh, well then by all means go ahead and weep. I mean this is a tragedy, I mean don't you just wish the world would end?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"Shut up!" Bobby called, walking up the stairs to his room. On his way there, he bumped into Helen on the way to hers. "Uh, hey…Helen."  
  
"Bobby," she replied, not wanting to discuss anything with him.  
  
"Look Helen, we…" he began.  
  
"Please don't," she said, shaking her head. "Please just don't say anything Bobby."  
  
"Helen, I love…" he began.  
  
She bit her lip and blinked back tears. "I said don't," she repeated.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Because," she said, trying to hold all the pain in.  
  
"Damn it Helen, at least tell me why," he demanded.  
  
"Because, if you say you love me, I don't know that I'll be able to just walk away," she replied. "Please don't make me go through this. I can't do it again."  
  
"Why not?" he demanded. "You say you love me, yet…what the hell am I missing Helen?" he asked.  
  
"I just…" he started. "Bobby, I can't hurt Lindsay like that."  
  
"Helen," he began.  
  
"No," she said.  
  
"Damn it Helen," he remarked. "I love you. And I don't care if you want to hear it or not. I love you, and I want us to be together, and…"  
  
She shook her head again, but this time he grabbed her and kissed her. Helen pulled away quickly, surprised by his forwardness.  
  
"Helen…"  
  
"No," she said again, turning away.  
  
He watched sadly as the woman he loved ran away from him.  
  
TBC 


	3. Laying it all on the Table

            "Helen," a voice called down the corridor.

            "Get lost Dickie," she remarked.

            "Ha ha," he replied.  "All I need is you to second chair.   You don't have to do anything, just…"

            "No," she said, silencing him with a look.

            "Fine," he said, obviously mad, as he ambled away.

            Helen sighed and continued down the corridor.  She had to be in court in two minutes.  She hoped she'd make it on time.  It was only a bail hearing but still…she ran her fingers through her dark hair.  She had so much on her mind lately.  She had just gotten back from vacation last night and already she was being put back to work.  Not that she minded…the more things she had to do the less time she'd have to thing about the thing that was really eating at her: Bobby.

            She had been avoiding him ever since they left the beach house.  She didn't ride in the car with him, she didn't say goodbye, and she hadn't even acknowledged him when he waved to her earlier.  She didn't know what to do.  Yeah, it would be nice just to tell him she loved him too and get back together with him…it would be really nice…

            She snapped out of her daydream as the elevator opened and she stepped inside.  It wouldn't work though…she was a DA and he was a defense attorney.  It was impossible.  Aside from the whole Isikoff case, there were other little things here and there that were affected because of their relationship.  And there was also Lindsay.  She knew Lindsay had given her the okay more than once to go back out with Bobby but…she didn't want to betray her best friend like that.  She didn't believe Lindsay when she said she was over him.  Her actions proved her wrong.  Plus there was that whole 'Bobby loving his job more than her' thing.  That's why they had broken up in the first place.  It was all because of him damn pride and ego.  Maybe if he had considered her feelings for once they'd still be together.

            The elevator opened again, and Helen quickly rushed out.  She would be late if she didn't hurry.  She walked swiftly through the hallway to the court doors and made her way inside.  Her face fell when she saw who the defense attorney was…Bobby.

            He sighed when he saw her, probably upset because she wouldn't speak to him.  Pretending not to notice him, she sat down and waited for her case to be called.

            "Case number 4952," the clerk said moments later.  "Michael Hunter versus the commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

            "Bobby Donnell for the defense your honor," Bobby said getting to his feet.  "Plead not guilty, request bail."

            "Helen Gamble for the prosecution," Helen said stepping forward.  "Oppose bail your honor."

            "Your honor if you look into his chart, you'll see that this man is a well respected member of society, a highly recommended physician, and…" Bobby began, rambling.

            "He's convicted off raping a nine year old girl," Helen said, shocking everyone in the room.  "Forgive me if I overlook his societal position in this matter."

            "His position in society will show that…" Bobby started.

            "Your honor if you put him back out there, he may rape another young girl or even worse this time he may…"

            "All right, enough," judge Hiller remarked.  She paused.  "Oppose bail.  Trial date set for Thursday next week.  Adjourned."

            "What do you have for me?" Bobby asked her.

            She shook her head.  "Nothing right now.  From where I'm sitting all evidence is pointing to this guy and…"

            "Come on Helen, you don't even have an ID," Bobby remarked.

            "She's nine years old Bobby," Helen said.

            He sighed.  "Fine…but, you don't want him to get off do you?"

            "That's why I'm going to win," she said icily. 

            He laughed as she gathered her things and prepared to leave.

            "Helen," he said.  

            "No offer," she reminded him.

            "I'm not talking work," he said.  "I'm talking you and me."

            "Funny," she said.  "A few weeks ago I would have killed to hear you say those words, and now they don't even faze me."

            He stared at her.  "I'm sorry," he said.  "What…what else can I say to make it better."

            Helen shook her head.  "That's just it Bobby," she replied.  "You can't make it better.  No matter how hard you try, it'll…let's just leave it where it is," she said, walking away.  She pushed the door open angrily.  Why was she still letting him get to her?

            "What if I can't leave it where it is?" he asked following her.  "What if I can't let you go?"

            She whipped around.  "Maybe you should have thought of that earlier," she replied.

            "God, Helen," he said, slightly raising his voice.  "I can not go back and change time!  If I could I would.  All I can do now is ask for you to forgive me, and hope that I can make it up to you somehow.  Can you at least give me another chance?" he asked.

            She bit her lip, and noticed that many people were staring at them.  They had started to cause a scene.  "Bobby I…I'm not sure I can go through it all again," she said quietly.  "I mean you're married to your job and no matter what I'll always come second."

            He shook his head.  "You never came second to me," he said.  "Maybe I acted like you did, but you were always first."  He paused then chuckled a little.  "Funny how I can stand up in front of a room full of people and tell them a bunch of lies and I couldn't even tell you how much I loved you."

            She took a deep breath.  "That's what I needed to hear," she said.  "I'm not a jury Bobby…I don't want to be fed a pack of lies.  I wanted the truth and yet…"

            He laid his hand on her shoulder.  "I'm telling you the truth now," he replied honestly.  "Is it too late?"  His blue eyes twinkled as he talked.

            She sighed.  "I…I don't want it to be," she replied, causing his eyes to light up.  "But…I…I just need some time.  Just…can you give me some time?" she asked.

            He nodded.  "Anything," he replied, as she turned and walked away.

TBC


	4. Roommates, Catfights, and Surrendering

                **Author's Notes:** Thanks to Lily, Cari, and Kate for all the support.  Thank you Terra for all the wonderful comments and advice.  Also thanks to everyone who sent in feedback.  Special thanks to Ashley for bearing with me and assuring me that even though I think this part falls short of my usual writing, it was good enough to send in.  

                Helen sat alone in McCall's sipping her iced tea and tapping her fingers along the marble countertop.  She scanned the room for any signs of Lindsay, wondering why she was so late.  It wasn't like Lindsay not to be on time.  She glanced down at her watch.  She had to be back at work in less than fifteen minutes.  If Lindsay didn't hurry, she'd have to leave soon.

                "Helen!" Lindsay called, rushing into the restaurant.  "Sorry, I got held up at trial.  Hiller was pissed that the prosecution withheld evidence and coached a witness.  They claimed that it was a filthy accusation and I…"  She stopped, still seething after that embarrassing display in the courtroom.  "Well, let's just say I was angry, and then Hiller called us into Chambers and lectured us."

                Helen shook her head.  "It's okay.  I mean, I only have a few minutes left, but no big deal.  Anyway, let's get down to business.  You know that apartment you looked at the other day?"

                Lindsay smiled.  "You mean the one I couldn't afford because of the crappy pay Bobby gives me?"

                "That's the one," Helen said grinning.  "I think you should reconsider.

                "Oh, I don't know," Lindsay admitted shaking her head.  "The down payment's okay, but the rent's a little high…"

                "Not if you split it!" Helen said bluntly.

                "What are you suggesting?" Lindsay asked wryly, looking at Helen suspiciously.

                Helen slammed the newspaper down on the table and looked her friend in the eye.  "Well," she replied.  "My lease is up this week, and I've been searching for a place.  And, you've been shopping around for a new apartment so, I figured we could move in together."

                Lindsay bit her bottom lip in deep thought for a moment.  If she agreed to Helen's proposition than she would only pay a small amount of money for rent a month, plus she'd get to see more of her best friend.  Also, she had been itching like crazy to find another place to live and she had already checked out the apartment.  It was extremely nice with a lot of included accommodations.  However the rent was a bit on the pricey side…but with her and Helen's salary together, it would be more than enough to cover the rent plus all the bills.  On the other hand, she'd have to deal with Helen's crazy boyfriends, invasion of privacy, and only one bathroom for the two of them.  Still…the pros sure outweighed the cons.

                "Okay," Lindsay agreed sighing.  "We'll look into it later.  I'm supposed to get out at five.  I'll tell Bobby that I can't stay any later."

                "Great!" Helen remarked, smiling.  "I'll call the owner on my break.  I already talked to her about the good possibility that we would move in and she's holding it for us."

                "Why do I have the strangest feeling this is going to be like college _all_ over again?" Lindsay asked, the slightest hint of a smirk on her face.

                Helen hit her playfully with the newspaper.  "Well, I make no promises about the men and the drinking thing, but I _can_ guarantee I won't smoke since _somebody_ made me quit.  Besides, I practically live at work.  I won't have nearly enough time to annoy you."

                Lindsay laughed.  "Oh, I'm sure you'll find the time."

                Helen thought for a moment then smiled.  "Probably!" she remarked, getting up.  "I got to go.  Must head back to work before Kate flips.  She's already scared to death about my murder trial.  It's kind of hilarious to see the way she paces around my room watching every move I make."

                "Leave it to you, the cynic, to find humor in the midst of a murder trial," Lindsay said grinning.

                "Well someone has to," Helen replied.  "Catch you later babe."

                "Bye," Lindsay called, taking another sip of her coffee as Helen left.

                "Hey babe," Helen called, walking into the main office of DYD&F…again without knocking.  Lucy shot her a snide look and Helen tried desperately to hide her laughter.

                Lindsay tried to ignore the tension between them as she slid her coat on.  "Tell Bobby I left," she told Lucy.

                "He wanted you to stick around for that lujack we got," Ellenor told Lindsay.  "Said you were the only one available to take it."

                Lindsay sighed.  "I _always_ get the lujacks!  You take it!  I'm already defending half the drug dealers in this city.  I can only do so much!"

                "Which case is this?" Rebecca asked, looking up from her computer.  

                "Double homicide," Ellenor said.

                "The Jeffers' case?" Rebecca inquired.

                "That's it."

                Rebecca sighed.  "I'll take it."

                "But what about your carjacking case?" Lindsay asked.

                "Mistrial," Rebecca announced.  "Apparently the prosecution wasn't aware that they had to turn over _all_ the evidence.  They tried springing a videotape on us during trial.  Kittleson flipped, case was dismissed."

                Ellenor raised her eyebrows and shook her head.  "Yet another criminal back on the streets."

                "It's what we're good at," Lindsay pointed out.

                "Maybe you should make that your slogan," Lucy joked.

                "It already is," Helen replied.

                "So where you going so early?" Beck asked.

                "Um, Helen and I are checking out an apartment we might get," Lindsay explained.  "It's a little on the expensive side, but together we can afford it."

                "So you two are going to live together?" Ellenor asked, surprised.  

                "Yup," Helen replied.  "We did in college."

                "And survived!" Lindsay added with a grin.

                "Hey, if it makes your rent cheaper, then go for it," Rebecca said.  "As long as it's not a small two roomed place like I got."

                "No, it's gorgeous," Lindsay exclaimed.

                "Well, if you ask me…" Lucy began.

                "We didn't," Ellenor and Helen remarked at the same time.

                "Geez, don't have to get so snippy!" Lucy replied, offended.  "I was just going to say, I thought it was a pretty good idea."

                Lindsay and Helen turned to each other incredulously.  "You do?!" they asked at the same time.  Helen cocked her head to the side, waiting for one of Lucy's sarcastic comments.  She could see through that fake smile and innocent act that everyone had bought.

                "Yeah, I do," she said grinning.  "I mean, hell, that way you guys can share Bobby.  You know like joint custody.  Lindsay can get him Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Helen Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  And alternating Sundays."  Lucy smiled a victorious smile, as the room became deathly silent.  Lindsay and Helen hadn't discussed the whole Bobby situation and Rebecca and Ellenor definitely didn't want to get involved.  It was way too complicated.  Leave it to Lucy to find the situation humorous.

                Without another thought, Helen charged at Lucy, this time Lindsay unable to sustain her.  Lucy screamed as she fell out of her chair, hoping she her heels were sharp enough to keep Helen from killing her.

                "HELEN!" Lindsay remarked as she rushed over along with Rebecca, trying to help break them up.  Lucy shrieked as Helen kicked her, her arms refrained by Lindsay, and Lucy tried vigorously to squirm out of Rebecca's grasp.

                "You bitch!" Lucy shouted.  "You're frickin crazy!"

                "Me?  What the hell was that comment for huh?  Can't get laid yourself so you're trying to mess with people who can?" Helen spat as Lindsay pulled her to her feet.

                "That's low!" Lucy remarked.  "You're the one who…"

                "Hey!" Eugene remarked as he and Bobby entered the room.  

                "What the hell is going on?!" Bobby demanded, noting Lucy's upside down chair, Helen's disheveled hair, and paperwork all over the place.

                "She started it!" Lucy replied, pointing at Helen, in her usual immature manner.

                Ellenor sighed.  "Give it a break Luce."

                "She did!" Lucy insisted.  "All I did was say…well… She's the one who got violent!"

                "As I'm sure Lindsay wanted to do as well!" Rebecca remarked.

                "Hey, what is this, gang up on Lucy day?" Lucy asked incredulous that they were all taking Helen's side.  They had all joined her in the gossip of Helen, Bobby, and Lindsay's strange relationship earlier.  They were all a bunch of hypocrites.  The traitors.

                "Would somebody please explain what just happened here?" Bobby asked, his voice firm and demanding.

                Rebecca sighed.  "Lucy decided to piss Helen off as usual, only this time, she went a bit too far…"

                "And she came at me!" Lucy said.  "_I'm_ the victim here!!!  I'm the damaged party!"

                Rebecca rolled her eyes, and hit Lucy over the head with a chart.

                "Ow," Lucy remarked, though the chart had barely scraped her hair.

                "Well what did she say?!" Bobby asked, still baffled by the whole scenario.

                "Nothing!" Lindsay remarked quickly, not allowing anyone to repeat it.  Lindsay finally let go of Helen, hoping she'd leave Lindsay alone now that Bobby and Eugene were back.

                Still not knowing when to quit, Lucy smiled and repeated, "Alternating Sundays."  She grinned triumphantly, her eyes daring Helen to come at her again.

                Not caring who the hell was watching her, Helen started forward again, a frozen look of terror on Lucy's face, and she darted backwards.  However, Bobby quickly grabbed both of Helen's arms, not allowing her to move any further.

                "Let go of me!" Helen snapped, trying futilely to escape his grasp.

                With Eugene now in between Helen and Lucy, Bobby decided it would be safe to let her go.  She quickly pulled away from him, throwing the office door open and storming out.  Bobby looked around, not sure what to do.  He could try comforting his maniac secretary…the one who had supposedly started this whole thing.  He also might be able to get Lindsay to talk about what happened…find out why Helen was so upset.  But he figured, his best bet was going to the heart of the problem.  That meant talking to Helen.  Would it be easy?  Hell no.  She'd probably refuse to answer any of his questions and throw him out.  But he had to try.

                Without a word to anyone left inside of the main office, Bobby turned and walked swiftly out of the room.  He rushed into an elevator, nearly cutting his arm off in the process.  He leaned against the wall, not aware that everyone's eyes were on him, the crazy man who had ran inside as if his life depended on it.  He sighed deeply thinking of Helen.  The two hadn't talked since that day in the corridor, despite his futile attempts.  She ignored him at work and never returned any of his phone calls.  He had finally given up a few days ago, giving her some space to think things through without interference.  She had returned his 'hi' earlier this morning, which he took as a good sign.

                Finally the damn elevator, (he swore it went slower when he was in a hurry) opened up and just as quickly as he darted in, he went out.  He rapidly went across the street to the building where Helen's office was located.  He could only pray she was there.  He had no idea whether or not she was there…she could be anywhere in this damn city.  At the courthouse, a crime scene, a meeting, the station…however going to her office was worth a shot.  Sighing once more, he straightened his suit, and walked inside.

                "Damn it!" Helen muttered, tossing another crumbled up piece of paper in her trash bin.  She had been working on this damn closing for three days.  Nothing sounded right.  She eyed the area around the garbage that was now covered in balls of paper and she slumped down in her chair.  She threw her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her palms.  Why couldn't she concentrate?  She'd been like this for a few weeks now…come to think of it, she had been like this ever since she returned from vacation.  

                The answer was obvious, she knew it was.  It was because of Bobby.  She hated him.  No, she loved him!  She hated him because she loved him!  It wasn't fair!  Her life had been going just fine without him!  She had been ignoring him as much she could.  But she couldn't go on pretending he was oblivious to her for the rest of her life.  She had to face him sooner or later.  She preferred later…much later.  

                She heard a quiet rap on her door and froze.  She knew that tap.  It was the same knock he always used.  Even when he was furious with her, he never changed that tap.  Five short knocks on the door, each one as quiet as the first, yet she still always managed to hear it no matter what.  Then he would push the door open, just as he was doing now.  She instinctively sat up straight staring dead ahead, afraid to move.

                "Hey," he said, shutting the door as he stepped inside.

                "Bobby," she replied, ready to force a smile, but surprised when one already formed on her face unexpectedly.  "Uh, what brings you here?" she asked, looking down as she got to her feet.

                "I wanted to check on you," he said honestly.  "Make sure you were okay.  The whole thing with Lucy and all."

                "I'm fine," she insisted, still not looking up at him.  She walked to the side of her desk and stopped, not allowing herself to get too close to him.  She wasn't sure she could control herself if she did.  "Is that all you wanted?" she asked.  "Because I still have a lot of work to do.  I have a closing to finish."

                "Yeah, I see that," he said, eyeing the clusters of balled up paper all over her floor.

                "Yeah," she said, nodding and crossing her arms.  She felt a chill down her spine and she bit her lips to sustain it.  She remained staring at the floor, shuffling her feet slightly to serve as a distraction. 

                Bobby noticed her distance and threw his head back in frustration.  What was it going to take to get through to her?  Why couldn't she just talk to him?  It would make things so much easier if she'd just open up to him.  But he knew her, and he knew that wasn't her style.  He knew he wasn't the easiest person to talk to, hell, he never opened up either…but she could at least scream…yell.  Anything was better than her silence.  It was ghastly, and it pierced right through his heart, like a jagged arrow.

                "Helen," he whispered.  His words came out soft and soothing, yet he could still feel her pulling away.  His eyes saddened, wishing there was something he could do, something he could say.  He just wanted to make things better for her.  He wanted to let her know that he was there for her.  That he always would be.  That no matter what she could turn to him.  He longed to comfort her, to ease all her pain.  So many things he needed to tell her, yet he couldn't until she broke this barrier she had put up between them.

                Helen winced as he stroked her cheek, turning her head away quickly.  She couldn't look at him.  To see his eyes…it would be unbearable.  She wasn't sure she'd be able to keep up with this façade of hers if she saw the truth in his eyes.  It was easier to believe that his promises were all just empty words.  Words he was only saying but didn't mean.  She could keep pretending that was true until…

                Not able to let her fight her inward battle any longer, Bobby moved closer, cupping her face in his hands.  Helen was forced to look into his eyes.  Into his profound, sapphire eyes.  They showed the same yearning for her that she felt for him, and now she was unable to deny any of the feelings she kept hidden deep down inside.  "Bobby…I can't…" she began, but never turned away from him.  She wasn't strong enough to walk away.  Not this time.  Not able to fight it any longer, Helen's lips met his, parting them gently.  She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly.  He ran his hand down her back as the kiss deepened.  She leaned in more passionately, more forcefully, until she had him pinned up against the wall.  

                She pulled away suddenly, her breath still mingling with his.

                "What's wrong?" he asked, his arms still wrapped around her waist.  He wasn't about to let go for fear that she would leave again.

                "I just think that we should take this slow," she said, still gazing into his eyes.  "If we want it to work out this time, I think we better slow down.  Otherwise, it's just going to go downhill like before."

                He nodded.  "You're right," he agreed.  "We should take things slow this time."

                She smiled.  "Wh…what are we going to tell Lindsay?" she asked, suddenly feeling guilty.

                He shook his head.  "I'm not sure yet," he admitted.  "But we'll figure something out…we have to."

                She nodded, and rested her head on his shoulder.  "Do you think we can make this work?"

                He smiled and locked her into an embrace.  "I'm sure we can."  His eyes glinted.  He couldn't resist one last smart comment.  "Just as long as you don't go killing my secretary on me."

                Helen laughed.  She had nearly forgotten about the whole Lucy situation.  "I make no promises," she said grinning, as she kissed him again.

TBC

Thanks for all the feedback guys!!!  Keep it coming!


	5. The Sole Surviving Secret

**Summary:** Well, part five is finally up.  Sorry for the long wait.  Just some background info: the trial Lindsay discusses with Helen is from the episodes "The Trial" and "Cloudy With a Chance of Membranes".  It's the Dr. Jeffrey Winslow trial, which was the trial that Helen and Bobby originally broke up over.

**Disclaimer:** I don't' own any of these characters…blah, blah, blah.

**Feedback:** R/R please!  Thanks for all the wonderful comments and suggestions!

Only a Matter of Time

Part Five:

The Sole, Surviving Secret

                Helen paced nervously inside of her apartment, waiting for Bobby to arrive.  She was meeting Lindsay, Rebecca, and Ellenor at their new apartment, and Bobby offered to help them move in.  Eugene was supposed to help too, but not right away.  He had to drop Kendall off at Sharon's house and from there he was going to meet them at the apartment.

            Helen sat down, contemplating for the millionth time exactly what she was going to tell Lindsay.  Sure, Lindsay had given her the go ahead with Bobby, but had she _really_ meant it?  Helen couldn't be certain.  It was all much too confusing.  She knew she had to tell her though, especially since she kept telling Lindsay she no longer had any interest in Bobby.  God, now she was even lying to her best friend!  This was turning into a bigger mess than she had imagined!  And to make matters worse, Bobby kept pushing her to tell Lindsay.  The sooner, the better, he insisted.  Easy for him to say!  He wasn't going to be the one doing the talking!

            Maybe it wasn't worth it.  If Lindsay liked him so much…well, maybe she shouldn't betray that friendship.  Then again, hadn't Lindsay done exactly the same thing to her…twice???  She rubbed her temples, trying to think of some great solution that would put an end to all of her worrying.  Some master plan in which no one got hurt.  She was coming up with nada.  She sighed.  This wasn't fair.  Lindsay didn't deserve any of this…hell, she didn't deserve any of this!  Why did the one thing she had going for her in her life right now have to bring about so much pain and heartache?  Couldn't she just be happy for once, god damn it!  Was that so much to ask for?  She didn't think so.  Everything had to keep snowballing until it got worse and worse…and if she kept waiting to tell Lindsay, well, who knew what would…

            "Hey."

            Helen screamed as she jumped off her chair.  She looked up relieved to see that it was only Bobby standing there. 

            "My God!" she remarked.  "Don't do that!!!"

            "I tried knocking," Bobby began.  "But you didn't answer.  I tried the door, and it was unlocked.  So I came in.  What's the matter?" he asked, concern filling his eyes.  "Is everything all right?  You looked stressed, baby," he replied, taking her in his arms.

            Resting her head on his shoulder, Helen sighed.  "It's just…I really, _really _don't want to tell Lindsay.  I mean, I want to tell her, but, at the same time…  God, Bobby, we swore never to let a guy come between us, and now…well look at what we've gotten ourselves into.  I just…God, I wish this whole mess would just disappear."

            "I know, I know," he whispered gently.  "Do you…do you want me to try talking to her first?" he asked.

            Helen shook her head.  "No…this…this is something I have to do by myself.  If I'm not the one to tell her…she'll never trust me again.  I'm just…I'm not really sure how to break it to her."

            "You'll find a way," Bobby said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.  

            "Yeah," she agreed quietly as she slipped her leather jacket on.  "I guess we should start moving some of these boxes into the truck," she replied at last.  Bobby nodded and they quickly began loading the boxes onto the U-Haul waiting outside.  They talked about anything and everything…everything that is except Lindsay; neither one of them wanted to pursue _that_ subject.

            Placing another box in back of the truck, Helen sighed, hoping that everything would turn out better than she expected.

            "Ouch!"

            "Watch it!"

            "That's my foot!"

            "Sorry!"

            "Hey!  Now you're on my foot!"

            "Then put your box down!"

            "No you!"

            "Hey, out of my way!"

            "No…"

            Ellenor, Lindsay, and Rebecca all screamed as they toppled to the floor, their boxes colliding next to them.

            "You should have put down your box," Ellenor told Lindsay.

            "No, if _both_ of you had just _moved_ and let me through then…" Rebecca began.

            "Then you shouldn't have stepped on my foot!" Lindsay remarked.

            "I didn't!" Rebecca insisted.

            "Don't look at me," Ellenor replied.

            "Well _somebody_ did!" Lindsay replied.

            "No, somebody stepped on _my_ foot!" Rebecca remarked.

            "All right, all right!" Ellenor yelled.  "Let's just pick these boxes back up and try again.  I hope there wasn't anything fragile in them…"  She and Rebecca turned to Lindsay.

            Lindsay shrugged in return.  "Don't ask me.  They're the ones Helen dropped over last night.  And if something broke, we're all…"

            "Dead," Helen finished as she and Bobby walked into the apartment.  "What happened?!" 

            Rebecca pointed to Lindsay.  "She stepped on my foot then…"

            "First she stepped on my foot, then I lost my balance, but…" Lindsay began.

            "…she crashed into me, so I grabbed onto Ellenor for support, and…"

            "…I somehow managed to stay on my feet, but then Beck pulled Ellenor down and…"

            "We all fell because of Lindsay stepping on me…"

            "We all came crashing down because Beck threw me off balance…"

            "And the boxes all fell because of _her_!" Lindsay and Rebecca shouted at each other.

            Helen rolled her eyes and turned to Ellenor.

            "Basically, _somebody_ stepped on somebody's foot, they fell, and the rest of us came down with her."

            "Well lucky for you guys only my clothes are in those boxes," Helen remarked as Bobby set down the box he was carrying.

            "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Lindsay muttered, rolling her eyes.  "Is anyone else starving?"

            "Yes!" everyone agreed.

            "Anyone up for pizza?" Ellenor asked.  "I'll go get one."

            "I'll go with her," Rebecca agreed.  "I need a break anyway.  So what…two large pies, one plain…one with…?"

            "Pepperoni," Helen suggested.

            "Got it," Rebecca replied.  

            "Be back in a few," Ellenor called as she and Rebecca left.

            Bobby turned to Helen and she knew that now was the time to tell Lindsay.  Sighing, she nodded at him and turned to Lindsay who was looking very confused.

            "Hey, Linds, we uh…we need to talk," Helen finally blurted out.

            "About?" she asked.

            "About uh…" Helen began.

            "Just mainly about something that's been bothering Helen and I for a few days and…" Bobby started.

            "Oh, hell, might as well say it," Helen remarked.  "We need to talk about us."

            "Us as in me and you?" Lindsay asked Helen, now completely baffled.

            "Us as in me…and Bobby," Helen said slowly.

            Bobby groaned.  Way to be subtle, Helen, he thought.  He rocked forward on the balls of his feet nervously.  He wished more than anything that he could just disappear right now.

            "You…and Bobby?" Lindsay repeated slowly.  "What about you and Bobby?"

            "Well…" Helen began, fidgeting nervously.

            "Maybe we should sit," Bobby suggested.

            "Good idea…"

            "No!" Lindsay remarked.  "I want to know right now."

            Helen sighed.  "Okay," she began slowly.  "See…Bobby and I…well, we sort of…we're back together."  She took a deep breath.  There.  That wasn't _so_ hard.

            "Oh," Lindsay replied quickly, taken aback.  "And how long had this been going on for?"

            "Just a week," Bobby commented.

            Helen winced, angry with Bobby for being so stupid.

            "A WEEK?" Lindsay asked.  "And when exactly were you planning on telling me?"

            "Just now!" Bobby remarked.

            Helen groaned, another stupid move on Bobby's part.  

            "So you hid this for an entire week then now you drop this bomb on me, knowing full well that I can't get too angry because Ellenor and Beck will be back soon and you just…"

            "Hey Linds!" Rebecca called, reentering the room.  "Slight problem.  Neither Ell nor I can drive your car because it's stick shift and…" she paused noticing tears in Lindsay's eyes.

            "Bobby can drive you," Helen remarked quickly.

            "But…" he protested, not wanting to leave Helen all alone to deal with Lindsay.

            "Go," Helen insisted.  "It's okay, really."

            "All right but…"

            "Just go!" Lindsay snapped, causing Bobby to hurry up and chauffer Rebecca and himself out the door.

            The door shut and Lindsay glared at Helen silently.  Helen sighed.

            "Linds, I wanted to tell you…you _have_ to believe me.  I just couldn't find a good time or…or the words and…well…babe, I'm sorry, but I just…I…I…it's not like you haven't done this to me!  _Twice_ need I remind you!"

            Lindsay nodded.  "I know, I just…this is a lot to take in…you…you and Bobby are really back together?"

            "Yes," said Helen.

            "Even after he told you what he said the night of the Winslow trial?" Lindsay asked in surprise.

            "Ye…uh…wait…what did he say?" asked Helen curiously.

            Lindsay shook her head.  "I shouldn't tell you.  I just would have thought he'd at least have the decency to do so."

            "Linds," Helen persisted.

            "You shouldn't hear it from me," she insisted.

            "What did he do?  We were both angry, Lindsay.  I'm sure whatever was said was spoken out of that anger," maintained Helen.

            "Okay," said Lindsay, forcing a smile.  "Than just forget it, okay?"

            Helen sighed.  "Just tell me."

            "No, I…well…okay," Lindsay replied, taking a deep breath.  "He said…that night, when we were at the crime scene…once I saw that woman and the scattered hands…I…I told him that he should put a little distance between himself and that case.  He, of course, refused.  So, I…I asked him if he was really ready to throw someone he loved away for a stupid case and…he said yes.  He…he told me that Winslow came to him because he thought Bobby was the best…and…he said that meant more to him than…"

            "It would help if you grabbed the _right_ keys!" Bobby scolded Rebecca, as the two barged back into the apartment.  "Your car keys certainly aren't going to help us much if your car's not here!"

            "Oh, shut up and get them!" Rebecca remarked, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.  "I'm going back outside to wait with Ellenor!" 

            Bobby turned to Helen and Lindsay cautiously.  "Are you okay?" he asked Lindsay.

            She nodded, looking away from him.  He raised an eyebrow in query, surprised that Lindsay was taking things this well.  He shot Helen a reassuring smile and for the first time, noticed the odd way she had looked at him.  It was the same look that he usually reserved for his cold-blooded, murdering clients.

            "Helen…are you…" he began slowly.

            "Fine," she snapped.

            Bobby was taken aback.  What was going on?  Lindsay was supposed to be the one getting upset, not Helen.  What had happened while he was gone?

            "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, reaching out for her hand.

            "Don't touch me!" Helen spat, her voice hardly raised above a whisper.  Her eyes were narrowed and cold.  He didn't understand…why was she acting this way?

            "Wh…what…" Bobby started.

            "I can't look at you," she remarked, turning from him and rushing out the door.  Bobby stared after her, too shocked to move.  What was going on?  He'd have thought Lindsay would be the one to storm out, not Helen.  He turned to Lindsay accusingly, waiting for her to explain.

            "What?" Lindsay asked innocently, having a seat on the couch.

            "What the hell did you do?" he asked, as calmly as he could.

            "_I_ didn't do anything!  And I'm surprised that you'd think I could just…" 

            "Lindsay!" he asked, half desperately and half furiously.

            "I just…I was mainly surprised when Helen told me you two were back together and…I figured that this time there wouldn't be any secrets or lies.  So, I…I assumed Helen knew about the night…the Winslow Trial…when I asked you if you were really willing to throw someone you love away for a trial and you said…"

            "Damn it Lindsay!" he roared, banging his fist down on the countertop.  "What the _hell_ were you thinking?!"

            "I was thinking that I was doing a friend a favor!" she yelled back.  "She deserved to know Bobby."

            "That's _not_ what you were doing and you know it!" he barked.  "You just had to think of a reason, any reason, to make Helen mad at me.  That way if she was angry enough and we couldn't work things out, we couldn't get back together and…"

            "How dare you accuse me of doing all this to make my best friend unhappy and…" Lindsay started, rising to her feet.

            "Damn right I am!  You had no right to go and…" Bobby began.

            "Bobby, are you com…" Rebecca stopped eyeing Bobby and Lindsay's livid faces.  "Umm…are you guys all right?"  She peered around.  "Where's Helen?"

            Bobby ignored her as he walked quickly through the open doorway.  He rushed down the steps two at a time, stopping when he saw Ellenor, leaning against the car, looking extremely annoyed.

            "Well, _finally_!" she remarked.  "It's taken you long enough.  I was starting to wonder if…"

            "Have you seen Helen?" he interrupted.         

            She shook her head.  "Not since I came down here."

            Where the hell was she?  The U-Haul was still here, as Bobby thought, he couldn't picture Helen driving the U-Haul away anyway.  She must have gone out the back way and called a taxi.  It was the only explanation Bobby could make sense of.  

            Running down the street, he yelled out to a cab ready to pass him.  The driver finally stopped and Bobby rambled off Helen's address to him.  He sat impatiently, hoping that he could figure out a way to make this up to Helen.  He could only imagine how furious she must be with him.  If only she knew…

            "Damn it!" he muttered, as the cab driver dropped him off.  Helen's car was missing.  She was gone.  He sat on the steps to her apartment in frustration.  Come on Helen, he pleaded mentally.  Where are you?

TBC…please R/R!


	6. Stranger from the Past

**Summary**: Part 6 has arrived at last!  A little on the short side, but trust me, the story will be getting better.

**Disclaimer**: I own everyone and everything from "The Practice".  In fact, I'm actually DEK.  If you believe that, then next I'm going to tell you about how Lucy never means to cause any trouble…

**Feedback**: Always appreciated!  Thanks to the many, MANY people who have reviewed my story like crazy.  Your nags are what keep me going!

Only a Matter of Time

Part Five: Stranger From the Past

          Helen sped down the streets of Boston carelessly, her foot never leaving the accelerator.  She slowed only briefly at a red light before taking off once more.  She didn't think she could stop if she tried.

          Her head was pounding and her hands were shaking.  She couldn't believe she had been so stupid!  She actually allowed herself to trust Bobby again, and what did he do?  Betray her once more!  She should have known better!

          Poor Lindsay!  She must have caused her best friend so much pain…going back and forth with Bobby.  Then again, it was Lindsay who first stole Bobby from Helen.  Didn't that justify all of Helen's mistakes with Bobby, then?

          A silent tear trickled down her face, burning her flushed cheeks.  She couldn't believe herself.  Here she was, driving at ninety miles per hour, crying like a naïve, little schoolgirl, and for what?  For Bobby Donnell?  She despised herself for allowing Bobby to control her emotions like this.  _She_ was supposed to be the one in control, not him!

          Helen slammed on her breaks instantly, as a black BMW came speeding around the corner.  The two cars skid, and were barely an inch from colliding when they stopped.  Helen jumped out of her car frantically, praying that she hadn't hit the car.  

          "Are you okay?" the man from inside the BMW questioned.  Helen nodded slowly.  She opened her mouth to apologize, but no words came out.  She was in too much shock to speak.

          "I'm sorry," the man said, climbing out of his car.  "It's my fault.  I was in a hurry to get to a meeting and…"  He paused, squinting in the sunlight.  A slow smile crept over his face.  "Helen Gamble?" he asked, curiously.

          Helen strained to get a better look at the man.  "Oh my God," she said slowly.  "Pat!  I barely recognize you.  Wow, you've changed a lot since college!"

          He smiled sheepishly as he walked closer towards her.  "Well, Helen, you haven't changed a bit.  You're still as gorgeous as the day I first laid eyes on you."

          Helen laughed.  "Yeah, okay," she remarked sarcastically.

          Pat smiled.  "It's true.  You're as beautiful as ever."

          Helen grinned.  "Stop," she insisted.

          "Oh, I'm sorry about nearly destroying your car," Pat said suddenly.  "I was in a rush and…"

          "Oh, no, it's okay really!" Helen insisted.  "I thought that this whole mess was my fault.  I'm…well, I'm kind of in the middle of something, and I was thinking clearly, and well…you know."

          Pat nodded, looking her over more carefully.  "Are you all right?" he asked.

          "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Helen replied.

          "Because your face is all tear-stained," he concluded.  "You've obviously been crying."

          "No, no," Helen began.  "I mean, yes, I'm fine, but no I haven't been crying.  It's the bright sunlight…you know how it can cause your eyes to tear up…"

          "Oh, right," Pat remarked, completely unconvinced.  "Did they teach you how to lie like that in law school?"

          Helen stifled a smile.  "Nope.  It just comes naturally I guess."

          Pat grinned.  "Say, why don't we go grab a cup of coffee or something?  I know I could use something small to eat, and if I recall correctly, you have the appetite of a horse, yet are fortunate enough not to gain a pound."

          Helen smiled.  "But I thought you had a meeting that you were in a rush to get to?"

          "I'm sure they'll survive without me," Pat insisted.  "Come on.  We have a lot to catch up with.  I can tell you all about my first marriage…then my second…then third…"

          Helen laughed.  "Oh only three times, huh?" she asked, eyeing his finger for a wedding ring.

          "Yeah, divorced all three," he replied.  "Who would have thought that people would actually marry me just for my money," he joked.

          Helen ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip, debating whether or not to take him up on his offer.

          "Well…?" he asked again.

          She had nothing else to lose.  Lindsay probably hated her.  Bobby obviously didn't give a damn about her…

          "What the hell," she remarked, smiling.

TBC…I know, short…but it'll get good!


	7. Some Things Never Change

New code: * * * * * means a setting change and ( ( ( ( ( means point of view change. Okay? Sorry about the lack of updates. But now that finals are over (thank God!) I WILL update once a week. Keep the reviews coming! The story's taking a new direction I didn't think I'd want it to take, but now I rather like it. But don't worry, it's still a Helen/Bobby fic.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"And I said, honey, buy your own damn Porsche."  
  
Helen laughed hysterically, trying to keep from spitting out her coffee.  
  
"So, wait, let me guess," Helen began, after regaining her composure, "Your third marriage went just as smoothly as the first two."  
  
Pat chuckled. "My third was the worst. Here I am thinking 'third time's a charm'! Yeah right! The sweet, loving girl I married did a complete 180 after the wedding ceremony. She sucked up all of my money on plastic surgery, clothes, jewelry, etcetera. She came up with this agreement that we would only speak when in the public's eye and that we would purposely avoid each other in our own house, except when she needed to access more money."  
  
"Lovely," Helen remarked sarcastically, tossing a fry into her mouth.  
  
Pat rolled his eyes. "You have no idea," he remarked shaking his head. "But, I'm actually more curious as to why you were crying. Lose a case?"  
  
Helen sighed. "Work doesn't mean that much to me," she insisted.  
  
Pat cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, at times it does," Helen admitted. "But the last case I lost was a carjacking case, and those normally don't get me too worked up."  
  
Pat smiled. "So then why were you crying? And don't give me that line about the sun in your eyes again."  
  
"You know.dating problems," Helen said.  
  
"Really?" Pat asked intrigued. "Any special guy?"  
  
"No, not really," Helen lied.  
  
"Well for someone to make you this upset, he had to have meant a lot to you."  
  
"Listen, I really don't want to get into this right now," Helen remarked.  
  
"Okay, fine," Pat said, raising his hands up in surrender. "Let me know if you want to though.it will do you some good to talk about it."  
  
"Thanks," Helen said, flashing him a sincere smile. It was good to be able to talk to someone who wouldn't judge her. "So are you working on wife number four?" Helen teased. He laughed heartily at her little joke. If he had been anyone else, he would have been offended by her harsh comment, but Pat knew Helen and her cynicism was the one thing he loved the most about her.  
  
"No, no. Not just yet anyway. I'm beginning to think that marriage is completely overrated." Pat shook his head. "Even if I found someone, it would be a long time before I even considered the possibility of marriage."  
  
"Well, wounds like that are hard to heal," Helen agreed. She took another sip of her coffee, finishing it off. "So you never did tell me. What brings you to Boston?"  
  
"Well, I've been in Manhattan ever since law school, and I just figured it was time for a change. That meeting I was on my way to was actually a job interview."  
  
"Oh, God, I'm sorry!" Helen remarked, staring at Pat with shock. "You blew off an interview to talk to me?"  
  
"Oh, they'll forgive me," he said, flashing her his charming smile. "Plus, I don't really want to work at Clarkson and Newman anyway."  
  
"They're crappy lawyers," Helen admitted.  
  
"So I've been told," Pat agreed. "Their track record's not all that impressive. Besides, the place I'd really like to work won't interview me until Monday."  
  
"Oh really?" Helen asked. "Where at?"  
  
"It's a small law firm, but they have a great track record, and despite being the underdogs, they've beaten huge corporations like the tobacco company."  
  
Uh oh, Helen thought. This law firm is sounding pretty familiar.  
  
"It's uh, Donnell, Young, and Frutt," Pat replied, confirming Helen's suspicion. "I'm sure you've heard of them."  
  
"Yes, I've gone up against them quite a number of times. They're really good," Helen replied. "Oh, and you remember Lindsay Dole from college don't you?" Pat nodded. "Well, she works there. She's the one who won against the tobacco company. The others just take credit for it. Actually, she's become quite the drug lawyer."  
  
"Really?" Pat asked, surprised. "Are we talking about the same Lindsay?"  
  
Helen laughed. "Yeah, Lindsay's changed. Not a lot, but she's definitely not as naïve as she used to be. I personally think that law firm's tainted her."  
  
Pat grinned. "So how has Lindsay been? I haven't heard from her in years."  
  
"Good, good," Helen said nodding. "Work's good for her and she's still as pretty as ever. We're still really close, despite a few obstacles life's thrown in the mix. We said we'd always be best friends and we still are."  
  
"That's great," Pat smiled. "Is she married to Chris? I know they were really close in law school."  
  
Helen laughed. "No, no, no. I would have killed her if she married him."  
  
"Why what happened?" Pat asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Well, Chris isn't exactly the saint we all thought he was. He works for the district attorney's office, like me, but he's become extremely corrupted, taking bribes and such. Not only that, but he basically raped Lindsay." Pat's eyes grew wide with fear. Helen nodded. "He slipped that new date-rape drug in her drink and they had sex. She scared the piss out of him though."  
  
"Lindsay got revenge?" Pat asked shocked. He shot Helen a knowing look.  
  
Helen laughed. "Okay, okay, so the shooting was all my idea." Pat looked shocked. "He wasn't really shot. Lindsay brought an unloaded gun into his office and scared him to death. She threatened to kill him for what he did to her. Then she fired the gun. She swears he peed himself."  
  
Pat laughed. "Leave it to you to think of that," he remarked.  
  
"Hey, the guy deserved it!"  
  
Pat grinned and shook his head. "So Lindsay's not married?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"That's a surprise," Pat replied. "She always was a romantic."  
  
"She still is," Helen replied. "She just doesn't romanticize the idea of relationships and love as much as she used to, because she's beginning to realize that they're not always perfect. But she's still a romantic at heart."  
  
"You two always were an unlikely pair," Pat agreed. "You and Lindsay. You'd spend your nights chasing men and using them for all they were worth and Lindsay would search the entire city looking for the one. She was always so sweet and innocent, and you were."  
  
"Malicious and hostile?" she suggested. "Heinous bitch?"  
  
"Completely insane," Pat laughed.  
  
"Well, we've both grown up since then. True Lindsay's still more sweet and innocent then most, and I'm still the relentless ice queen, but we've gotten better with our bad qualities. However, I still am completely insane," she remarked. "Even more so actually."  
  
Pat laughed solidly. "Well, some things never change."  
  
"No they don't," Helen smiled as a pager went off.  
  
"Sorry," Pat apologized, reading his message. He groaned.  
  
"And that would be?" Helen asked.  
  
"My niece," Pat remarked.  
  
"Your brother has kids?" Helen asked. Pat's older brother Mark didn't seem like a family oriented type of guy.  
  
"No, no, Mark's in Europe somewhere probably going sex crazy, but never thinking twice about knocking people up." Helen shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Pat winced. "Sorry.I forgot that."  
  
"It's fine," Helen replied. "So it's Tracy's daughter then?"  
  
"Yes, my lunatic sister."  
  
"Hey now, don't make fun of crazy people!" Helen teased.  
  
Pat grinned. "But you're crazy in a good way and she's crazy in a bad way. There's a huge difference."  
  
Helen rolled her eyes. "And the world makes sense yet again!"  
  
"Yeah, well, she's living with her piece of trash boyfriend and I have to go rescue her kids."  
  
"Aw, aren't you the sweet uncle," Helen gushed. "How many kids."  
  
"Two. Dani and Charylie."  
  
"Two boys?"  
  
"Girls actually," Pat grinned. "Dani's short for Danielle and Charylie's real name is Charlotte. How she acquired that nickname I'm not short, but it's what everyone calls her. Dani's seven and Charylie's thirteen."  
  
"Where's their father?" Helen asked.  
  
Pat shrugged. "Who the hell knows? It's actually better that they don't know him, as horrible as he sounds. He's a screw-up, a real asshole. He'd just make their lives worse then they already are."  
  
"That's sad though, growing up without a father," Helen replied. She knew first-hand how tough that could be.  
  
"But look at you," Pat said, trying to cheer her up. "You grew up without your dad and you couldn't have turned out better."  
  
"Thanks," Helen said, blushing slightly.  
  
"Well, sorry to cut this short, but I have to go pick up the kids. There's no way I can stand to let them live in that trailer park. It's no place for a kid to have to grow up."  
  
Helen nodded sadly. "So I take it you're a big part of their lives?"  
  
Pat nodded. "Yeah. I'm trying to gain custody of them actually."  
  
"Really?" Helen wasn't the least bit surprised. Pat loved children and hated when they were abused or neglected. He was such a sweet, warm person.  
  
"Yeah. The court doesn't want to turn them over to me unless the girls testify. I don't want to put them through that, but I also can't let them live the rest of their lives the way the do."  
  
"Well, I hope everything works out for you," Helen said, grabbing the check from the waiter. "And for them."  
  
"Thanks, I hope so too. So I should be seeing more of you now that I'm in Boston right?"  
  
Helen nodded. "Of course." She scribbled down her phone number on a napkin. "Let me know how your interview goes."  
  
"I will do," he smiled. "Hey, wait! I'm the man, I pay for the bill," he insisted.  
  
Helen shook her head, fishing some money out of her purse. "Not in my world. Guys paying all the time is such an old cliché. And if you remember anything about me, you know how much I hate clichés. Lindsay's the cliché one."  
  
Pat laughed. "How soon I forget."  
  
* * * * * The next day * * * * *  
  
"Helen!" Lindsay cried out gratefully, running up to her and giving her a hug. "Oh, my God, where have you been?"  
  
"Chill, babe, I'm fine," Helen insisted, shutting the front door to their new apartment. "I went out to clear my head. I ran into Pat Williams. Remember him from high school?" Lindsay nodded. "We went out for lunch, and then I went into the office for a little bit."  
  
"On a Saturday?" Lindsay asked incredulously.  
  
"I had to pick up some paperwork," Helen explained. "Anyway, I ran into Mike Maguire there, and we went out for dinner. He's upset about his girlfriend Chloe. You remember her right?"  
  
Lindsay nodded. "Tall, thin, green eyes, perfect blonde curls. She's the type of girl who drove us crazy in college remember?"  
  
Helen laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Chloe's mother's really sick and she's in the hospital. So I stayed and talked to Mike and we crashed at his place. He was too tired to drive me home and I was too drunk to drive myself."  
  
"Reminds me of college," Lindsay replied dramatically.  
  
"Oh shut up and stop reminiscing!" Helen teased.  
  
"So," Lindsay said, sitting down to a cup of coffee. "Have you?" she raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Have I?" Helen repeated.  
  
"You know," Lindsay said, sipping her coffee.  
  
"I do?" Helen asked.  
  
Lindsay sighed. Helen sure could make things difficult sometimes! "Have you talked to Bobby?"  
  
"Oh, no," Helen said flatly. She had been doing all she could to forget about him.  
  
"You should," Lindsay said. "He called about thirty times last night asking if I heard from you. He's really upset Hel. I think you should try talking to him."  
  
"Linds, please don't do this to me. I don't want to talk to him right now. When I am ready to talk to him, I will. But don't push me."  
  
Lindsay sighed. "Okay, babe, I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay." Helen relaxed. Hopefully this whole Bobby thing would blow over quickly. That would make it much easier for her to move on. She turned back to Lindsay who was flipping through the Sunday paper aimlessly. Helen's face softened. Lindsay must have been under much more stress than she realized. This whole Bobby thing certainly had to have taken a toll on her. She should have been more considerate to her friend's feelings.  
  
"Hey, I have a crazy idea," Helen grinned, plopping down next to Lindsay.  
  
"Oh dear God," Lindsay remarked in her best David Hasslehoff impersonation. "Last time you had a crazy idea, we woke up naked in Jerry Hresko's apartment."  
  
Helen laughed. "Fine, fine, we just won't go shopping then."  
  
Lindsay eyes lit up. "Shopping?" she asked.  
  
Helen nodded. "Well, I need a few new business suits and I'm sure you do too. But Linds, you're not allowed to buy one gray or tan one. Try maroon or navy. They're much better than your same boring, old gray ones."  
  
"Right, as opposed to the lady in black?" Lindsay teased.  
  
Helen stuck out her tongue. "That's exactly why I need to go shopping!"  
  
Lindsay grinned and slipped on a pair of sandals. "Let's go, before you talk me into going to a strip club."  
  
"Well, actually, after we were done shopping, I thought." Helen began. Lindsay shot her a look and slapped her playfully on the arm. Helen laughed and led the way out the door.  
  
* * * * * The following day at DY&F * * * * *  
  
"Okay, so who's interviewing this guy?" Ellenor asked.  
  
"From his resume, I don't even think he needs to be interviewed," Lucy remarked. "Let's just hire him."  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "She just likes him because he's hot."  
  
"Do not!" Lucy remarked. "I'm not that shallow."  
  
"I think Eugene should interview him," Bobby suggested. "He won't go easy on him or hire him immediately just because of his looks." Bobby caught Lucy's eye and she blushed slightly.  
  
"I didn't know we were hiring," Lindsay said, hanging up the phone.  
  
Bobby nodded. "Well, we don't desperately need the help, but this guy's really good. Plus, you, El, Eugene, and I have been taking on more than we can handle. It's a help with Jimmy and now with Rebecca as a lawyer, but one more lawyer would be extremely beneficial."  
  
"Bobby, I can't interview him," Eugene remarked. "I have opening arguments on the Mattel trial."  
  
Bobby sighed. "Well, El and I have an appeal and it looks much more convincing when both attorneys are there. Jimmy's at the scene of a drug bust and I'm not sure when he'll be back. And Beck's meeting with Helen Gamble on the Springfield case." Bobby's voice shook a bit at the mention of Helen's name. She hadn't talked to him since Saturday and he couldn't blame her. But still, if she decided to come to her senses and speak with him, then and only then, he'd explain everything. Until then, he wasn't going to pine after her.  
  
"I'll interview him!" Lucy volunteered, eager to be alone in the room with such a tasty dish.  
  
"No!" Bobby, Eugene, Rebecca, and Ellenor shouted at the same time.  
  
"Fine!" Lucy huffed.  
  
Bobby turned to Linds.  
  
"No way Bobby, I have a meeting with my client!" she replied. Bobby shot her a pleading look. "No," she said firmly.  
  
"Linds, he'll be here in twenty minutes. Can't you just delay your meeting an hour? It won't take long to just talk to the guy," Bobby said.  
  
Lindsay groaned.  
  
Lucy looked at her. "I could always interview him and make your life easier."  
  
Lindsay looked around at Bobby, Eugene, Rebecca, Ellenor, and finally Lucy's eager face. She didn't want to cancel on her client, but there was no way in hell she would let Lucy scare off a potential employee. Besides, her client was a drug-dealing addict who didn't even deserve a trial. "All right," she relented. "But you guys owe me big time!"  
  
"Dinner at McCall's?" Ellenor suggested. "The whole office, my treat. We'll even bring the new guy if he gets hired."  
  
Lucy's eyes grew big and Rebecca laughed. "You can come too, Luce," she said.  
  
Lucy grinned and went back to researching Rebecca's murder case. Bobby's cell phone rang and he quickly answered it. Eugene waved to everyone and rushed out the door. Ellenor sat down at her desk, shaking her foot impatiently waiting for Bobby to finish.  
  
"Okay," Beck replied, grabbing her coat. "I better hurry or I'll be late. I wouldn't want to anger Helen anymore than she already is."  
  
"What's she swollen about now?" Lindsay joked.  
  
"The judge held her in contempt," Rebecca replied. "It was kind of stupid if you ask me. She was only proving a point. But we all know how loony Swackheim is. He threw her in jail without so much as a warning. It wasn't really fair, but hey, it helped me, so I didn't complain."  
  
Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Well, if she needs to be cheered up, tell her she was right about this suit. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it." Lindsay was wearing a cream-colored business suit, with a skirt a little shorter than she usually wore. The buttons were real pearls and the suit was tailored perfectly to her figure. It was extremely stunning and Lindsay knew she looked stunning in it.  
  
Rebecca laughed. "Did you two go shopping yesterday? I noticed she had a new suit on, too."  
  
Lindsay nodded. "I've been in a bit of a funk lately, so she took me out to cheer me up. She's a really good friend," she added.  
  
Beck smiled. "I'll be sure to tell her that," she grinned. With that, she slipped her plaid jacket on, quickly fastening the buttons and hurried out the door.  
  
"All right, El, you ready?" Bobby asked, hanging up the phone. " Sorry, that was Patrick, our potential new lawyer. He said that he got here earlier than expected and would it be okay if he came up in about ten minutes."  
  
Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."  
  
"Good, because I told him it would be," Bobby replied, flashing Lindsay a soft smile. "Let's go El," he said turning to her. He looked shocked. "Why are you sitting?! God, you take forever! We're going to be late!"  
  
Ellenor slapped his chest as she stood up and he nearly ran a mach eight out the door. She turned to Lindsay and Lucy. "And they say men don't PMS!"  
  
* * * * * The DA's office * * * * *  
  
"Sorry I'm late!" Beck called, rushing into Helen's office. Her thick curls were windswept and her stylish black hat nearly flew off her head. "There was a huge debate over who would interview a new lawyer we're hoping to hire, and then I was almost hit by a taxi on the way over here. Those damn cabbies don't know how to drive! DMV should revoke their licenses! As soon as this trial's over, I'm going to sue each and every one of them and." Rebecca paused to take a breath and then smiled sheepishly as Helen burst out in a fit of laughter. "Sorry again," Rebecca added, sitting down across from Helen.  
  
"It's fine really," Helen insisted. "I had some things to take care of anyway."  
  
"Oh, by the way, nice job helping Lindsay shop," Rebecca replied. "She looks great. Much better than the usual drab colors she wears."  
  
"That's exactly what I told her. I think that suit lifted about five years off of her. She's only twenty eight and she looked about thirty three in those old lady suits."  
  
Rebecca laughed. "Yours is great too," she said, motioning to Helen's new sapphire blue business suit. It was trim and poise with silver swirled buttons. The jacket dipped down in a low v-cut and the skirt had small slits up the sides. A hint of black lace from her corset peeked out through the v-neck of her jacket, adding a sexy, racy touch. She wore her hair down in tight spiral curls. She looked amazing and she knew it. She was in a good mood today, for no reason in particular.  
  
Helen smiled and thanked her. "Lindsay's been rather depressed lately, so I offered to take her out shopping. You should see the lingerie she bought!"  
  
Rebecca laughed loudly. "I can't picture Lindsay in a lingerie store, let alone buying some!"  
  
Helen joined in her laughter. "It was quite a sight. She kept scanning the store nervously hoping no one she knew was in there watching her. She was so edgy that she knocked down a manikin, causing a huge commotion. I thought she would die!"  
  
"Ooh, I can not wait to tease her about that!" Rebecca remarked.  
  
Helen nodded in agreement. "I'll never let her live it down." Beck grinned wildly, thinking of all sorts of ways to taunt Lindsay. "Well," Helen said, slipping back into her professional demeanor as she was rather accustomed to. "We should get back to the Springfield case."  
  
Rebecca quickly agreed and they began discussing the elements of the murder case, both hoping to work out a deal.  
  
* * * * DY&F * * * * *  
  
"Hi, I'm." Pat began, walking up to the office receptionist. She was young and fairly pretty, with short redish-brown hair a little past her chin. She looked no older than 19 or 20, causing Pat to wonder how on earth she had scored such a job without a college diploma.  
  
"Patrick Williams?" the secretary asked eagerly, reaching out to shake his hand. He accepted her handshake a little awkwardly, and pulled away quickly as Lucy found it hard to let go. "Uh," Lucy started standing up and regaining her composure. "Ms. Dole will be interviewing you. She's in her office right now, so if you'd just follow me."  
  
Lucy led Pat to Lindsay's office and rapped softly on the door. "It's Mr. Williams," Lucy said, trying to sound as professional and sophisticated as possible.  
  
"Send him in Luce," Lindsay called.  
  
Lucy turned around and flashed Pat a seductive smile. "In here," she gestured, opening the door for him. Lucy reluctantly shut the door behind him, giggling insanely to herself.  
  
"Your secretary sure is enthusiastic," Pat remarked, having a seat across from Lindsay's desk.  
  
"That she is," Lindsay said, peering up from a stack of paperwork. "Plus she's head over heels in love with you."  
  
Pat laughed merrily. "Kids nowadays."  
  
Lindsay smiled. "So how have you been?" she asked.  
  
"Great," Pat replied. "I presume Helen told you I was interviewing here?"  
  
"Surprisingly no," Lindsay said. "Helen mentioned that you and her had lunch, but Bobby, the senior partner here kind of forced me into interviewing you. I was reviewing your resume a few minutes ago, and that's when I realized exactly who you were."  
  
Pat smiled. "Yeah, Helen sort of caught me up on how you were doing. I'm sorry about the whole Chris thing. I never would have thought he could be such an asshole."  
  
Lindsay smiled genuinely. "Yeah, well, people aren't always what you expect."  
  
"Very true," Pat remarked, a little snidely.  
  
Lindsay laughed. "Helen told me all about your three charming ex-wives."  
  
Pat snorted. "Oh they were charming all right. About as charming as Cruella Deville," he joked. Lindsay laughed. "So you've been all right?"  
  
Lindsay nodded. "I live from day to day. I'm between relationships. Business is good. I have great friends. Speaking of which, are you free tonight around eight?"  
  
Pat looked taken aback. "Are you asking me out?"  
  
Lindsay squinted in confusion. "What? Oh, no!" She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Everyone form the firm is going to McCall's, a local bar, for dinner tonight. I figured that since you're the new employee here, you should naturally come along with us."  
  
Pat grinned. "So I got the job?"  
  
"Welcome to Donnell, Young, and Frutt, Pat."  
  
* * * * * So what do you guys think of Pat? When I first wrote him in the last chapter, I was thinking about getting rid of him, but now, I kind of like him. There's a whole lot of history between him, Helen, and Lindsay, so stay tuned. Now that summer is finally here, I will update once a week! I promise! Oh, bear with me on the Helen/Bobby moments. It will, happen, but as the story's title states, it will take a matter of time! 


	8. Demons From the Past

* * * * * Wow! Two chapters in one day! I think I'm spoiling you guys! Or making up for my lack of updates! Sorry! Anyway.here's the next part.hehehe.it's going to get good, so stick around my pets! * * * * *  
  
* * * * * Later that night * * * * *  
  
"Oh, cheer up guys!" Lucy remarked. "Just because McCall's closed early, it's not the end of the world!" Gary, the owner of McCall's was on vacation in the Bahamas for the week and the guy who was temporarily replacing him closed at seven every night. "Besides, this club is great, I promise you. And, it's not a club for teenagers either. It's a twenty- something's club, I swear."  
  
Eugene sighed. "It better be, Luce. The last thing I want tonight is to look like a complete fool for walking into a dance club full of high schoolers."  
  
"Hey," Rebecca replied, joining Eugene and Lucy just outside the club. "Where's everyone else?"  
  
"Not here yet," Eugene said. "They all had to change and." Eugene eyes Beck. "Wow," he remarked.  
  
Beck grinned. She was wearing a sheer white halter dress with a metal band collar and an open back. Her curly hair was swept up high on her head, strands of curls falling down into her face.  
  
"Right back at you," she smiled. Eugene wore a black button up shirt, the top two buttons undone, with matching black dress pants.  
  
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Grow up you two." Lucy sported a wild, zigzag striped, sleeveless dress that hugged her womanly figure perfectly. Bright purple eye shadow and deep red lipstick was smeared onto her face, and tie up tan sandals accentuated her wild look. Her hair was cornrowed halfway back, with jewels and glitter dusting her hairline.  
  
"Sorry we're late!" Ellenor called, running over with Bobby. Ellenor was even dressed for the occasion. She wore a long silky red skirt with a spaghetti strapped black hawaiian printed shirt on top. Her long, flowing locks had been curled at the edges and she wore bright, colorful jewelry.  
  
"Damn traffic," Bobby muttered. "A cabbie nearly killed us!" Bobby looked sexy in white dress pants and a blue silky button down shirt. He hadn't shaved and had that wild, rugged look to him, a look that seemed to drive women crazy.  
  
"One almost killed me on my way to Helen's office," Rebecca replied. "Ooh, El, you look great."  
  
Ellenor grinned. "Thanks Beck. So do you."  
  
"Should we get in line?" Eugene asked. "I haven't heard from or seen either Lindsay or Pat."  
  
"No! We have to wait for them!" Lucy insisted, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. Rebecca and Ellenor rolled their eyes. "We wouldn't want them to think they were stood up or something." She reached into her flashy mirrored purse and smeared some more lip gloss onto her already triple-coated lips. This time, everyone rolled their eyes.  
  
"We're here, we're here!" Lindsay screamed from behind the group. They all turned and saw Lindsay and Pat dodge a motorcycle and rush over. "Sorry!" Lindsay apologized, panting and out of breath. "I had nothing to wear!"  
  
Pat rolled his eyes. "That's an exaggeration."  
  
Lindsay hit him playfully on the arm while Lucy imagined a million and one of the most painful ways to decapitate Lindsay. All of which involved her stealing Pat away of course.  
  
"Well, wherever you found that last minute, you better give me their business card," Rebecca exclaimed, eyeing Lindsay outfit.  
  
Lindsay blushed. "I knew it was a bad idea to wear this," she insisted, scowling in Pat's direction. She had on a shot black leather skirt with a strapless black and white floral printed top. She wore black sandals, and despite Helen's argument, skin-colored stockings. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, two strands hanging down, framing her face. She wore soft pink colors on her face and her excitement, along with the help of Helen's make-up, left her face glowing.  
  
"It was not a bad idea!" Pat insisted. "You look amazing." The others nodded in agreement. Pat wore black dress pants similar to Eugene's and a maroon colored dress shirt. Lucy kept fantasizing about different scenarios, all of which ended with her ripping that shirt off of him.  
  
"You look great Linds," Bobby said, grinning. "Are we ready?"  
  
"Well, um," Lindsay began, suddenly uncomfortable. "You see, I kind of promised that."  
  
"Hey, Linds, Pat!" a feminine voice called. Bobby turned and was both excited and angry to see Helen Gamble running towards them. He inhaled air quickly as he gazed at her. She had her hair down, in tight spiral curls, hair jewels entwined between strands. She wore black and orange snakeskin leather pants with pointy black boots. A very short, very sexy, orange beaded halter was tied around her neck and back, baring her soft, creamy skin, along with her orange diamond naval piercing. Her face gleamed brightly, her blue eyes shining. Her eyelids were dusted with smoky orange and gray eye shadow and her lips were a stunning shade of coral. A strand of small black beads emerged from underneath her hair and an orange diamond- shaped pennant hung from the strand, right in the middle of her forehead. She looked perfect.  
  
As Helen approached the group, she slowed her face, her eyes now narrowed viciously. She turned to Lindsay. "Bravo," she snapped. "Is this your idea of a joke?"  
  
Lindsay sighed. How did she know this wouldn't go over well? "Helen," she warned. "I thought I told you the rest of the firm was going to be here."  
  
Helen flashed Lindsay a fake smile. "No, Linds," she remarked, seeing right through her innocent façade. "You forgot to mention that little detail."  
  
Bobby shook his head at Lindsay. "I'm leaving."  
  
"No!" Lindsay insisted, grabbing his wrists firmly. "You've haven't even met Pat yet, and besides, you and Helen are both mature adults." She emphasized this point loudly. "I'm sure you both are able to have fun in the same nightclub together without clawing each other's eyes out." She shot them both belittling looks that a mother would shoot a child who had done something terribly wrong.  
  
Helen sighed. "All right, fine. I got all dressed up anyway, so I'm not leaving."  
  
"Well, I'm not leaving either," Bobby challenged her.  
  
Helen wanted to spit in his face and kiss him at the same time. She couldn't help but notice how undeniably sexy he looked tonight. She quickly turned her gaze from him towards Pat. "So you were hired, huh?"  
  
He nodded. "Guess that means we'll be opponents in court from now on," he teased. "You have to be vicious to me and really mean it for once."  
  
Helen grinned widely, pretending to have forgotten that Bobby was standing right behind her.  
  
"Not that it's any of my business or anything," Ellenor began. "But do you two know each other?" she asked, pointing to Pat and then Helen.  
  
Helen laughed. "Yeah, sorry. We went to law school together."  
  
"Those were the days," Lindsay laughed, multiple memories popping into her mind.  
  
Pat shook his head, smiling. "Were we ever that young?"  
  
Helen slapped Pat playfully across the chest. "Who says we're old now?" she joked.  
  
Bobby eyes narrowed. He didn't know what was going on between Pat and Helen, but whatever it was, he wasn't going to stand by and let it happen. Oh no. He'd take matters into his own hands.  
  
* * * * * In the club * * * * *  
  
Lindsay roared with laughter, falling onto Pat's lap. She had been drinking long island iced teas all night, and by now was on her tenth cup. And everyone but her could tell that she was indefinitely drunk.  
  
"Remember.that time we robbed that store at the beach?" Lindsay asked, howling loudly. Pat laughed with her, drunk as well. In fact the only two at the table who weren't drunk were Helen, Bobby, and Pat. Then again, Ellenor and Lucy (obviously) weren't drunk either, but they were out on the dance floor.  
  
Helen surprised herself by not finishing her third sex on the beach. She was buzzed, but far from drunk. Bobby had only been drinking whiskey, but was still working on his second cup. Rebecca and Eugene had both been downing Corona all night and were also severely drunk. Pat surprised Helen and Lindsay by not downing one drop of liquor.  
  
Helen laughed. "Yeah! I took a bathing suit, Pat stole a visor, Mark took a tee shirt, and Lindsay left with a pencil! She was too afraid to steal anything bigger!"  
  
The whole table erupted into a flood of laughter. Bobby even joined in, buzzed enough to be able to relax around Helen.  
  
"Well, if the cops caught us, I figured I could explain to them how a pencil, accidentally dropped into my beach bag and never get in trouble," Lindsay explained.  
  
Helen shook her head. "Face it, you were scared!"  
  
Lindsay stuck out her tongue, and wobbled a bit onto Helen's side of the booth, falling off of Pat's lap. Everyone laughed even harder as Lindsay resituated herself.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Rebecca announced, banging a spoon against her empty beer bottle. "Embarrassing stories time!"  
  
Lindsay giggled. "Eugene first!" she insisted.  
  
Eugene laughed heartily. "All right, all right," he remarked, as everyone began clanking their empty bottles. "On mine and Sharon's honeymoon, the most embarrassing thing happened. Well, we decided to go to a nudist beach and."  
  
Helen laughed at this. She couldn't picture Sharon deciding to go to a nudist beach.  
  
Eugene grinned and blushed deeply. "Anyway, we got the directions and worse only towels to the beach. So, we walk onto it and you know, strip down, throwing out towels into our beach bags. Well, mind you, I'm not the greatest with directions. Well, we caused a bit of a commotion and wound up in jail for the night!"  
  
Rebecca laughed shrilly. "You went to the wrong beach?!" she remarked.  
  
Eugene nodded and joined in the table's laughter.  
  
"Shot?" a waiter asked. Lindsay eagerly took three and downed them all, reaching for a fourth.  
  
Helen slapped her hand and shooed the waiter away.  
  
"Hey!" Lindsay remarked, angrily. "What's your problem."  
  
"Babe, if you have another drink, it'll be a miracle if you survive."  
  
"I'm fine," Lindsay insisted. "I only had five!"  
  
Helen laughed. "Try about fifteen."  
  
Lindsay flashed daggers at Helen then smiled coyly. "I know an embarrassing story about Helen," she sang.  
  
"Oh, do tell," Helen remarked. "I'll be surprised if they haven't heard it already."  
  
Lindsay squealed. "It's juicy," she told them. "That guy Mark, Pat's brother, the one who stole stuff with us from the beach store. Well, he was Helen's boyfriend. And he was no good. I told Helen that time and time again, but she wouldn't listen and."  
  
"Lindsay, stop," Helen ordered.  
  
Lindsay shot Helen a haughty look and proceeded to tell her story. "Anyway, Mark was a jerk. So, you know what he did to her? He."  
  
"Linds, that's enough," Pat remarked, clamping a hand over her mouth.  
  
Irritated at being interrupted a second time, Lindsay bit his hand. "As I was saying, he did what everyone said he was going to do to her. He cheated on her all the time and abused her and still she was stupid and stayed with him. Then he got her knocked up and left town!" Lindsay laughed alone as everyone stared dumbfounded. "Can you believe that? So Helen put the baby up for adoption and hasn't seen her since. Isn't that embarrassing?"  
  
"You're going home," Pat said harshly, picking her up and carrying her out of the bar, all the while her loud laughter echoing through the club.  
  
Helen stared numbly at her drink, willing herself not to cry. She blinked back a tear and rushed out of the club. Her feet were throbbing from her boots so she quickly kicked them off, now walking barefoot across the warm pavement.  
  
"Helen, wait!" Bobby called. "Hey, are you okay?"  
  
Helen laughed madly. "Am I okay? Bobby, what kind of question is that?"  
  
"I was just."  
  
"No, Bobby, I am not okay," she snapped.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to let you know." he began.  
  
"What?" Helen demanded, not pausing to allow him to answer. "Are you going to give me a god damn speech about how a good Catholic wouldn't give her baby up? Are you gonna preach to me Bobby? Because you've done some things the frickin church doesn't allow, and yet still you have the nerve to preach to me?"  
  
Bobby suddenly became angered by her harsh comments. He probably would have handled himself better, but alcohol induced, he wasn't the best during situations like this.  
  
"You know what? Fuck you Helen!" he called as she started to walk away. "FUCK YOU! You don't deserve to ever see your child again! I hope she HATES you! You're a bitch you know that? I HOPE SHE HATES YOU!"  
  
* * * * * The morning after * * * * *  
  
Lindsay awoke with a head rush that wouldn't go away. Helen lay in the bed next to her, rubbing a cold washcloth over Lindsay's heated head. "Hey, babe," she said softly.  
  
"Hey," Lindsay said meekly, looking up at her. Helen's face looked tear- stained and sad. Lindsay shut her eyes, memories from last night rushing back to her.  
  
"Oh my God, Helen!" Lindsay remarked, shooting straight up, causing her head to throb even harder. "What I said, about you and Mark! Oh my God! I'm a horrible, horrible person! You must hate me and.oh God! I.I didn't mean."  
  
"Shh," Helen whispered, pacifying her. "Linds, don't worry about it, any of it. You were drunk. I've done worse things when I was drunk. It's okay really. And of course I don't hate you," she smiled. "We're best friends right? No matter what?"  
  
Lindsay's mind eased slightly. "No matter what," she repeated. "But, you're sure you're not mad at all?"  
  
"Not at you," Helen said. "I mean, I won't lie, I was furious at first. But I know that was just the alcohol talking and that you'd never, ever say anything like that normally." Helen got off the bed placing the washcloth back over Lindsay's forehead. "Now, I've got to get back to work, but I'll."  
  
"Get back?" Lindsay questioned. "What time is it?"  
  
"Ten thirty," Helen declared. "I had to go to a witness's house a few blocks away, so I stopped back here for ten minutes."  
  
"Ten thirty?" Lindsay repeated. "But I have to get to work and."  
  
"No, work. You're hung-over and work is the last place you need to be right now," Helen insisted. "Now get some rest and I'll be back to drop off lunch, okay?"  
  
"All right," Lindsay said, shutting her eyes tightly. The light hurt like hell. She clicked her lamp off and fell back asleep.  
  
* * * * * Courtroom * * * * *  
  
"All rise."  
  
Helen stood up, adjusting her emerald green colored business suit. She flipped her black hair behind her right ear, than drummed her fingers nervously against her thigh. She was up against Rebecca for the Springfield trial. Helen didn't have much evidence against the guy. She was hoping that he was a stupid murderer, as they usually were, and she could trick him into confessing. Or at least make him look bad.  
  
"Please be seated."  
  
Helen sat down quickly, her head spinning. Why was she so dizzy all of a sudden? It wasn't because she was nervous. She had come into the courtroom knowing absolutely nothing about trials before and still did just fine. What was wrong with her?  
  
She glanced over at the defense table. Rebecca sat upright, an air of confidence surrounding her. Her head was held high and proud. Helen couldn't help but smile. Rebecca took her job as a lawyer so seriously. We all did in the beginning, she thought. Everyone does, until we realize what a joke it is. To serve and protect, my ass! The way most trials were conducted made a mockery out of the entire judiciary system! Still, she wished all lawyers would stay the way Beck was that instant. Then maybe things could change. Maybe.  
  
Next to Rebecca sat the defendant. He was only nineteen. His story was rather sad. His father killed his mother after she cheated on him. His father was executed. The kid was shipped off to his aunt's house in Cambridge, far from his home state of Florida. There he was sexually abused by his aunt. So he killed her. Cold-blooded murder. Of course Helen felt sympathy towards him, but murder was murder. And this murder was done intentionally. Still. Helen shook her head. It would do her no good to start feeling sorry for the defendant.  
  
Next to the defendant, Pat was positioned with dignity, looking handsome and sophisticated in his gray and black pinstriped suit. Helen noticed that he had a habit of pulling on his tie when he was nervous. He cleared his throat loudly and turned and saw Helen looking at him. He winked and smiled and Helen couldn't help but smile back. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then quickly stuck his tongue out at Helen. Helen stifled back a laugh and tried desperately to regain her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Beck shoot Pat a look and his eyes grew wide with humor. Helen bit her lip to keep from laughing.  
  
Judge Swackheim asked Rebecca to call her first witness. She called Jimmy Morris, the defendant's best friend to the stand, basically to have him persuade the jury that Randy Springfield was crazy. Then he could plead insanity and walk free. Helen crossed him brutally, nearly making him cry. However, she proved her point that Randy was not crazy. All in all, it was a good day for the prosecution. Helen was proud of herself thus far. Now if only things would continue to go this well. And if only this nauseating feeling in her stomach would disappear.  
  
"Hey, Helen," Rebecca said, walking over to the prosecution table. "Are you still offering ten years?"  
  
Helen pursed her lips and thought. "Yeah," she uttered finally.  
  
"He wants to plead," Rebecca replied. "I'll draft the papers when I get back to the office. Hopefully this will all be over with soon."  
  
Helen nodded in agreement and exited the courtroom.  
  
"Lunch?" Pat asked, as Helen emerged from the courtroom.  
  
Helen shook her head. "I have to bring something home for Lindsay."  
  
"Is she still asleep?" Pat asked.  
  
Helen shook her head again. "No, she woke once when I stopped by. She may be back asleep. She has one hell of a hangover."  
  
"Well, she was extremely drunk," Pat replied. "Does she remember.anything?" he asked, not wanting to come right out and mention all that Lindsay had said last night.  
  
Helen nodded. "Yeah, she feels terrible about it. I told her not to worry though. I know she didn't mean it. She would have never said any of that had she been sober."  
  
Pat smiled. "You have changed."  
  
Helen furrowed a brow. "What do you mean?"  
  
"The Helen I knew in college was unforgiving and relentless. If someone did something wrong to you, that was it. I remember one time Lindsay borrowed your favorite sweater and stretched in out and you wouldn't speak to her for a week. Last night she insulted you, embarrassed you, and ruined your reputation, and yet just like that," he snapped his fingers, "you forgive her."  
  
"Yeah? So?" Helen challenged him to continue.  
  
"It's a compliment," he insisted. "Learn how to take one."  
  
"All right, thanks," she said grumpily.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" Pat asked sincerely, sitting her down onto a bench in the corridor. Helen shook her head and shrugged. "Come on Hel, you can tell me, whatever it is. You know I won't think any less of you." Helen shook her head again. "Come on Hel, I know you know."  
  
"No," Helen insisted firmly. "That's the whole thing, I don't know. I feel.weird, but I don't know why. It's probably just from drinking on an empty stomach last night. I'll be fine."  
  
Pat wasn't convinced. "Here," he said handing Helen a scrap of paper from his pocket. "Write down Lindsay's address and I'll drop some soup off for her. I don't have much to do since I've only just started here, and I'm sure everyone at the office will be grateful to me if I make sure she's all right."  
  
"No, I promised her I'd stop by and." Helen began in protest.  
  
"Helen, if you don't let me do this, I'm going to call Lindsay up and tell her that something's wrong with you," Pat remarked.  
  
Helen sighed, defeated. "Fine," she remarked, scribbling down the address. "Tell her I'll call her later. I have to get back to work. And, thanks."  
  
Pat smiled. "No problem. Oh," he began, pulling a folded up envelope out of his pocket. "Here."  
  
Helen took the envelope quickly, unfolding it and tearing it open. She gasped when she saw what was inside.  
  
* * * * * DY&F * * * * *  
  
"So he wants me to go on this cruise with him this weekend. Isn't that great?" Lucy asked, babbling on and on.  
  
"And you just met this guy. Last night. At a club." Rebecca raised an eyebrow.  
  
Lucy scowled. "Beck, you never know how to have any fun!"  
  
"I do so Lucy," Rebecca reprimanded her. "I just don't go on three day cruises with a guy I met once, talked to for five minutes, and then slept with, especially without knowing for sure that he's not some crazed rapist serial killer."  
  
"He's not a rapist or a murderer," Lucy stated.  
  
"And how could you possibly know that?" Rebecca asked haughtily, hand on her hip.  
  
"Are you serious?" Lucy asked. Rebecca nodded. "Okay, well for starters I know his sister, we went to high school together, so I indirectly do know him and have seen him on several occasions. Also, working here, you kind of gain this ability to be able to tell when someone's a felon or not, it's like this creepy sixth sense thing."  
  
Ellenor laughed. "We have the sixth sense, Beck!"  
  
Rebecca joined in the laughter. "Hey Jimmy!" she called. "I see dead people!"  
  
"You must considering you're the walking dad," Eugene remarked.  
  
"Well?" Ellenor asked expectantly as Bobby walked into the office. "How'd it go?"  
  
"Not so good," Bobby said. "The appeal was denied."  
  
"Oh no!" Ellenor moaned. "That poor guy."  
  
"You think he's innocent?" Rebecca asked.  
  
Ellenor and Bobby nodded in agreement.  
  
"That sucks," Lucy added.  
  
"Beck," Helen called, bursting through the door. Bobby shot her a look. "What?" Helen asked defensively. He motioned towards the door. "Well, if you don't want people walking through the door, buy a lock or something." With that she hastily walked past him, stopping at Rebecca's desk. "They're fine," she told her. "All we need is the defendant's signature."  
  
Rebecca nodded. "I'll get right on it. I'll drop them off this afternoon and we'll bring them to the judge."  
  
"Sounds good," Helen agreed, wondering why for the third time that day the room seemed to be spinning.  
  
"Hey," Ellenor called. Helen spun around to face her. "How's Lindsay?"  
  
"She's fine," Helen said quickly.  
  
"Really?" Rebecca asked. "I mean last night, she was." She stopped short, afraid to continue with Helen in the room. "She just seemed out of it is all."  
  
"Well, I swung by after meeting Mike at a crime scene, and she's doing all right. Extremely hung over, but fine," Helen explained. "She wanted me to help her get to work, but I made her stay home."  
  
"Does she." Rebecca began, but stopped not wanting to pry. A look from Helen urged her to continue. "Does she remember anything?"  
  
Helen nodded. "Everything," she said quietly.  
  
"Oh."  
  
The whole room remained silent for a moment, each person recalling the incidents from last night, but none of them daring to speak a word about it out loud.  
  
"Hey Jimmy," Lucy said, breaking the silence. "What happened to you last night?"  
  
"Oh, I." Jimmy began, embarrassed. "It's just that.well, dance clubs really aren't my thing."  
  
Lucy stifled a laugh. "Okay."  
  
"Well, I have to be going," Helen turned to Rebecca. "If I'm not in my office when you come by, leave a message, all right?"  
  
Rebecca nodded as Helen left the room.  
  
"Well," Ellenor began. "She doesn't seem to be angry at Lindsay."  
  
"I know I would be," Rebecca began. "At first anyway. I mean, I had an abortion when I was young and I know if one of my most trusted friends blabbed that around a bar, I'd be pissed."  
  
Eugene nodded. "It's not really that big of a deal though. Everybody has a past."  
  
"Yeah, hers is just extremely juicy," Lucy squealed.  
  
"Lucy!" everyone hissed shooting her looks.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
"It's sad though," Rebecca said. "She must have been going through a lot. She obviously still cared about her baby though, if she decided to give it up."  
  
"Yeah," Ellenor agreed. "Maybe she wanted to keep it, but under the circumstances."  
  
"Or maybe Pat's brother, Mark was it?" Eugene questioned. "Well, maybe he wouldn't let her."  
  
"Or maybe she just didn't give a damn about who she hurt," Bobby jeered.  
  
Everyone looked at him incredulously.  
  
"How could you say that?" Ellenor asked. "Helen was the victim here."  
  
Bobby shook his head. "No. I don't think Helen Gamble ever was or ever could be a victim." With that, he stormed into his office, locking the door and lowering the shades.  
  
* * * * * Helen's office * * * * *  
  
Helen walked back into her office, quickly shutting and locking the door. She clicked her ringer off, not wanting to be disturbed or interrupted. She approached her desk slowly, sitting down stiffly in her chair.  
  
She opened the top right drawer, and pulled out the envelope Pat had given to her. How had he gotten this? She wondered if he knew a lot more than he was letting on to.  
  
She carefully unfolded and reopened the envelope, pulling out a letter and a picture. She unfolded the letter, rereading it.  
  
My mommy-  
  
My mommy is pretty and smart. She's always right and knows everything. Everybody loves her but she doesn't know this. I love her too, but she doesn't know me. My mommy loves me too and I think she knows this. My mommy is the best mommy in the world if only she would look for me. I think she lost me by accident when I was a baby. But I know she come find me someday because my mommy would not be happy until I was with her again. My mommy is a queen and I am her little princess.  
  
-Adielle  
  
Helen blinked back tears as she scanned the letter again. She then looked at the picture from underneath. In the picture was a little girl sitting on a chair, staring out the window. She had a thick mess of dark curls, a frail body, sad blue eyes, and a dimple on her chin. Helen wondered how beautiful she must look when she smiled.  
  
She threw her head onto the desk, still clutching the letter and picture. No longer able to hold these buried emotions inside, she sat and cried, wishing her daughter could be there with her right now.  
  
* * * * * Well? Did you like? Nice twist? Good/Bad? Let me know!!!! 


	9. Truly, Honestly?

            This chapter's FINALLY up! Sorry it took so long, I swear! Writer's block is a terrible disease I get from time to time. Anyway, without further ado, here it is! Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * *

            Helen veered the car to the side of the road, just narrowly avoiding a taxi cab coming into form the opposite direction.

            "Helen!" Lindsay shouted, catching her breath. "You've already managed to drag me along with you, to do God knows what. The least you could do is make sure I live!"

            "Sorry," Helen muttered, not really paying attention to her terrified friend. She pulled over to the sidewalk, parking her car sloppily. 

            "You do know you're illegally parked right?" Lindsay asked.

            "Mmm hmm," Helen murmured. "That's why we have _this_," Helen said, motioning to a blue letter in her hand. On it was her name and office phone number and a quick message that she was doing an urgent investigation for the Boston Police. Mike Maguire agreed to cover for her, although she never did tell him her true motive. He just trusted that whatever she was doing was worth the risk.

            "Why are we here again?" Lindsay asked, gazing up at the tall building. "You never did tell me that. It's like you don't want me to know or something. Is everything all right?"

            Helen nodded. "It will be. I just need one look."

            "One look at what?" Lindsay asked, confused, following Helen inside the old building. She knew Helen was partly insane and had accepted that, but driving eighty on the crowded Boston streets and illegally parking just to come to some orphanage? There was definitely something major Lindsay was missing. "Helen," she remarked. "I'm your best friend. _Please_ tell me what's going on? I'm worried about you. It's like you're in a daze or something. Tell me the truth, Hel."

            Helen smiled, mostly to cover up the tears Lindsay could now see forming in her eyes. "I'll show you Linds. Please, just be patient with me."

            Lindsay sighed and pulled her sunglasses off as they rounded the corner. "All right."

            "Good morning," a plump lady with pepper colored hair remarked, smiling. "Do you have an appointment?"

            "Well, not exactly," Helen began. "My name's Helen Gamble. I'm here to see Adielle."

            "Oh, Adielle!" the woman exclaimed cheerfully. "A fireball that one is!"

            Helen grinned. "I expected nothing less."

            "Wait," the woman said, squinting slightly as if recalling a distant memory. "I remember you. Why, you're her…"

            "Yes," Helen said hastily. "Please may I see her?"

            "Of course," the woman grinned warmly, rising from the armchair she had been resting in. "If you'll just follow me."

            Helen followed directly behind the woman, Lindsay trailing not too far in the distance. Lindsay knew better than to talk right now. She had a feeling that whatever was going on, it was serious. She remained quiet and solemn as she kept close behind Helen, wishing she knew what was about to happen.

            The three entered a small room where there were several bunkbeads, and at least twenty little girls, all about nine or ten years of age, running around wildly. All except three girls, who were all huddled onto one thin mattress, surrounded a girl with black curls.

            "I'm warning you," the dark haired girl hissed.

            "Or what?" one particularly tall and lanky girl beckoned. Her bony hand was upon her hip and her red hair was a mess of tangles and knots. She had freckles across her face and a sinister sneer to complete her look. The other girls behind her all looked frightened of her, thus their eagerness to listen to her.

            "Or I'll do this," the dark haired girl remarked, smiling coyly as she brought her right leg up high, kicking the red head in the face.

            "Adielle!" the plump woman shrieked, grabbing the dark haired girl from the corner. "Come here."

            "But Mrs. Curst, _she_ started it!" Adielle shrieked, a storm raging in her small blue eyes. "You saw!" She scowled. "It's not _fair_! You _always_ take her side!"

            "Follow me," Mrs. Curst said, leading her along with Helen and Lindsay into a small room with a large table. "I'll leave you alone," she said, exiting the room.

            "Um, Linds," Helen began. "Could you give us a second?" 

            "Sure," Lindsay replied, not understanding in the least bit what was going on. "I'll be right outside," she said, leaving.

            "Are you a social worker?" Adielle asked, sizing up Helen's business suit. "Because if you are, I don't want to find a new family. I've already had five and I hated them all. I'm going to stay here until I turn eighteen and then I'll get a job and do just fine by myself." 

            Helen smiled, in spite of everything going on around her. Adielle was only ten, but she talked as thought she was thirty five, so confident and sure of herself.

            "You really want to stay here?" Helen asked, cocking an eyebrow.

            "No," Adielle said, crossing her arms, and sitting down on the table. "But I don't want to live in another run down family like you want me to, so given the options, I choose here."

            "You don't seem very happy here," Helen remarked.

            Adielle laughed. "Tell me something, Ms…"

            "Gamble," Helen replied.

            "All right then, Ms. Gamble," Adielle began. "Why do you care so much? I've scared the last three social workers away. They claimed I was simply incompatible for any family they knew of."

            "Did they now?" Helen asked.

            "Yes," Adielle said, not even blinking. "What are you going to feel sorry for me?"

            "What about your mother?" Helen asked.

            Adielle rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously she's not here."

            "Where is she?" Helen asked.

            Adielle shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to look for her when I'm old enough."

            "You don't hate her?" Helen asked carefully.

            Adielle sat silently for a moment. "No," she said, after a long pause. "I guess not. I mean, you only get one mother right?"

            Helen couldn't hide her smile. "But she gave you up."

            Adielle nodded. "Maybe she had too. She may not have had a choice, you know. Mrs. Curst won't give me details, but she said my mother was facing some terrible circumstances. So, I figure, she didn't really want to get rid of me."

            "I didn't," Helen said, without realizing it.

            Adielle studied her for a moment. "Then why did you?" she breathed. She was desperate for the truth. She had to know. She could never forgive her mother without the truth.

            "I was forced to," Helen said quietly, silent tears streaming down her face. "You're still much too young to understand all of the details, so I'll tell you what I can. When your father found out I was pregnant with you, he…he wanted me to have an abortion. I couldn't go through with it and he as furious. I had no choice but to give you up. He left me. I had no money, nothing at all. I planned on coming back for you, but I was never stable enough to support you. I sent you all the extra money I had and…"

            "So that's why I had all the extra clothes," Adielle replied. "Mrs. Curst wouldn't tell me who the money was from. I had hoped it was from you. The other girls teased me about it all the time, but I know it was only because they were jealous."

            "So you…you can forgive me?" Helen pleaded.

            "Maybe," she said carefully. "What's your name? I never knew. I never even knew my last name."

            "Gamble," Helen said. "I mean, that's your last name. My first name's Helen."

            Adielle smiled. "I like it," she said.

            "Good," Helen breathed.

            "But then, why are you here?" Adielle asked.

            "Isn't it obvious?" Helen asked.

            "Perhaps," Adielle remarked. "But, I've learned from an early age not to get my hopes up, because more than likely, I'll only be disappointed."

            "Well, then, I'll get straight to the point," Helen began, kneeling down to match Adielle's height. "I came here to see if there was any chance in the world I could rescue you from this hellhole I put you in. I want you to come live with me, Adielle Sarah Gamble, that is, if you'll have me."

            Adielle studied Helen's face for a second to measure her sincerity. Finally a huge grin spread across her face. "You sound like you're proposing," she teased.

            Helen laughed, and hugged her daughter, tears now falling down both of their faces. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. I love you so much."

            Adielle cried hysterically, thinking about all the pain she had lived through and embracing the joy she was beginning to feel as a prospect of finding her mother. "I love you too," she said. "I know I never met you before, but you look just like I dreamed."

            Helen looked Adielle in her bright blue eyes. "You're far more beautiful than I could have ever fathomed."  

            Adielle smiled. "I get it from you," she said smartly.

            Helen laughed, mainly to keep from crying. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

            Adielle looked up at her, an elfish grin upon her face. "I know," she said simply.

            "So," Helen began, acting as though she wasn't still sprouting tears. Her voice was a bit shaky, but she managed to continue. "Does that mean you want to come live with me?"

            Adielle nodded vigorously.

            Helen beamed. "We have a roommate."

            "You mean you have a boyfriend?" Adielle asked, knowingly.

            Helen shook her head. "No." She climbed to her feet. "Wait here." Helen opened the door, and called Lindsay inside. Lindsay walked inside, staring at Helen incredulously.

            "Why are you crying?" she asked, noting that the little girl-Adielle was it?-was sobbing as well.

            Helen smiled. "Adielle, this is Lindsay Dole, my best friend, and your godfather. Linds, this is Adielle Sarah Gamble." Lindsay turned and looked at Helen, shocked. 

            "You're Adielle?" Lindsay asked.

            Adielle nodded unsurely.

            Lindsay held a hand to her mouth. "I thought you told me she had been adopted!"

            Helen shook her head. "She was…several times, in fact. I just didn't know that none of those families worked out for her."

            "So?" Lindsay asked.

            "So, she's coming home with us," Helen said, wiping her face free of tears.

            Lindsay grinned, a few tears escaping from her own eyes. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she said. 

            Adielle smiled warmly. "Can I leave tonight? _Now_?" Her eyes grew wide as she waited for the answer.

            Helen nodded. "Right now," she promised. "Let's go."

* * * * * * * * * *

            An hour later, Helen and Adielle arrived at Helen's apartment. Lindsay was called into trial due to the arrival of the jury's decision, which she thought was perfect, since she wanted to give Helen and Adielle as much time together as possible. Lindsay also promised to keep everything quiet until Helen had the chance to announce Adielle's arrival to everyone.

            "Here's your room," Helen said, walking Adielle into a large empty room with white walls.

            "My own room?" Adielle asked, her eyes craving for more of this new lifestyle.

            Helen nodded.

            "It's amazing!" Adielle exclaimed.

            Helen laughed. "It's empty!"

            Adielle stared up at her. "You're crazy. Why, I can picture it all up here," she insisted, pointing to her head. "See, over there in that corner? That's where the library is! My own bookshelves, can't you just see it? And there are three fluffy chairs for me to lounge in and read through the entire day. And over there, that's my large bed with its sheer, white canopy! I've always wanted one. And over there is my dollhouse that magically comes to life! But look! On the floor! It's the soft, scarlet carpet! And look at the window seat by the window! Isn't it all just wonderful?"

            Helen smiled. "I can see it," she pretended. "And you'll have it. _All_ of it."

            Adielle shook her head. "No, no, it's too much."

            "No, it's not enough," Helen insisted. 

            "No really, I don't need it," Adielle persisted. "It's all in my imagination, so it's already here!"           

            "Fine," Helen agreed. "It can stay in your imagination, but I'm going to need your help recreating it, since you're the only one who can see it."

            Adielle's eyes grew wide. "Honest?" she asked.

            "Honest," Helen smiled.

            "Do you truly, honestly promise?" Adielle asked.

            "I truly, honestly promise," Helen insisted.

            Adielle threw her arms around her. "It's all too much, too fast! It's more than I could have even imagined. Well, I did imagine it, but for it to actually come true…"

            "I know what you mean," Helen said, holding her tight, caressing her soft curls. "What do you say we go shopping?"

            "Shopping?" Adielle repeated, as though not believing it.

            "Yes," Helen smiled. "I know of a really great store with millions of clothes to pick from."

            "I get new clothes?!" Adielle remarked.

            "Anything you want," Helen insisted.

            Adielle grinned and shut her eyes tight.

            "What are you doing?" Helen asked.

            "Remembering," Adielle said, opening them a second later. "I'm taking a picture with my mind. I'm afraid that when I open my eyes this will all be gone, and I'll be back in the orphanage with Jan and the rest of those horrible girls!"

            "Well, you're eyes are open now," Helen said. "Has anything disappeared?"

            Adielle shook her head fiercely.

            "Then it must be true," Helen announced.

            "Truly, honestly?" Adielle asked.

            "Truly, honestly," Helen said warmly.

* * * * * * * * * *

            Seven hours later, Helen sat in the plush, oversized armchair next to Adielle's canopy bed. ("But only Princesses sleep in canopies!" Adielle insisted. "Well then," Helen said. "It's only natural you should have one, in that case.") She peered over at her daughter, sprawled out daintily across her bed, her wild black curls fanned across the pillow. Helen smiled as she watched her sleep. Adielle looked like a fairy or a little elf princess, so tiny and fragile, yet so precious and pure. 

            Helen looked around Adielle's room in wonder. She had recreated the fantasy that Adielle had envisioned. She even had the "Gone With the Wind" movie poster above her bookshelf, the Scarlet O'Hara porcelain figurine, and of course, the classic book along with its sequel, which Adielle assured Helen, was just as good as the original.

            Helen reached out onto the small round, wooden table on which the two books lie. She picked up "Scarlet" by Alexandra Ripley, and opened to the first page. She sat quietly, pouring over the pages, not stopping until she completed the novel. She had read "Gone With the Wind" as a teenager, and loved the novel, but Scarlet O'Hara and her queer determination and odd outlooks on life soon became lost in a collage of memories, which were never relived, for fear of resurfacing old insecurities and emotions.

            "Helen?" Lindsay called, cracking open the door to Adielle's room. "Wow," she remarked quietly, walking inside and sitting down next to Helen. "You sure transformed this room in just a day."         

            "Mmm," Helen agreed. "It was quite a day."

            "She looks like you," Lindsay said, smiling, gazing at Adielle.

            "I guess," Helen said. "Hey," she remarked snapping out of her fantasy. "Why are you home so late? What time is it?"

            "It's nearly four in the morning," Lindsay said. "How long have you been sitting in here."

            "Since she went to bed around ten," Helen said. 

            "You've been sitting here for six hours?" Lindsay remarked, incredulously.

            "Well, yes," Helen said. "After she drifted off, I read this," she said, motioning to the book in her hand. 

            "Oh," Lindsay said.

            "Wait," Helen said, as Lindsay got up to leave. "You never answered my question. Where were you?"

            Lindsay beamed, glowing. "I'll tell you in the morning."

            "Linds!" Helen hissed as loudly as she could, without waking Adielle.

            "The morning, I promise," Lindsay swore.

            "Okay," Helen relented, too happy to object.

            "Hey, where'd you get all the money for this?" Lindsay asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

            "I dipped into my retirement fund," Helen admitted.

            "Helen!" 

            Helen smiled and shook her head. "It was worth it, Linds."

            Lindsay smiled back at her then took one last look at Adielle. "Yes, she is worth it," she agreed.

            Helen nodded as Lindsay left, shutting the door quietly. Helen stared at the cover of "Scarlet", still in the fantasy land recreated by Ripley. Grinning, Helen eagerly reached for a pen and scribbled a small message inside the book:

          Adielle,

                   You were right. It's just as good as the original. 

          Love,

          Mom

          Helen looked down lovingly at the message and then at her daughter. 'Mom', she thought, recalling the last word she had written. Yes, she smiled. It suited her.

            She gazed one last time at her precious Adielle before turning off the beaded lamp Adielle had wished for. She curled up in the comfortable arm chair, and fell asleep reluctantly, not wanting to wash away the most perfect day of her life.

* * * * * * * * * *

Well…what did you think? Let me know!!!! TBC a LOT sooner, I PROMISE! Thanks for sticking by me! R/R!


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